tbeat, the world seemed to freeze. The string quartet, mid-note, let their bows fall silent. Waiters paused with trays o

pearance: the flimsy silk robe, the tangled hair, the bare feet on the polished marble floor. Besid

. They're all on Mark's side. This is a mistake. I can't do this.* The old Clara, th

I saw the

, cat-like smile replaced by a snarl of disbelief. And Mark. His face was a mask of pure, undiluted fury, his eyes promising retribution. The sight of the

the room. The sound of his expensive leather shoes on the marble floor was t

His gaze swept over the garish birthday banner, the multi-tiered cake now adorned with cartoon characters instead of

carrying to every corner of the silent room.

s face contorted with rage. "Thorne! What the hell is this? An

e gesture he always used, the one meant to control and subdue me. Bu

e shifted his body, subtly but decisively blocking Mark's path. It wasn't an aggre

hand, where a simple, elegant platinum band now rested on my finger. It was a ring his lawyer had produced, a temporar

hiss spreading from table to table. I could feel the judgment, the scandalized deli

, this is kidnapping. She's not in her right mind!" She rushed forward, her f

chilling certainty. *She's worried about the i

mother's first name with a familiarity that was a

e. "Clara, my love, would you care

for the first time in my life. My heart hammered against my ribs. My throat was dry. E

oice echoed in my memo

ume and betrayal. I looked directly at Mark, at the man

haking only slightly, "about the sedative

ace. My mother froze, her mouth

t how you and my mother and Isabelle planned to 'tuck me into bed' so y

at my 'delicate nerves' and 'hysterics' are perfectly sane reactions to being surrounded by peo

laid their monstrous plan bare for all of Veridia to s

ed on my arm, a silen

do: he attacked. "She's lying! She's mentally unstable! Thor

e guests-the dawning comprehension, the flicker of pity in some, the undisguised

lips close to my ear. His breath was warm against my skin, se

lead me back towards the doors. It felt like walking thr

e!" Mark bellowed from behind us, hi

ack. As we reached the doorway, he

lready have,"

ut behind us, cutting off the cacophony of scandal and rui

ustained me crashed, and I sagged against him, a wave of ex

aid, his voice a low

is face was still unreadable, but in the depths of his storm-g

I knew, with absolute certainty, that my old life was well and truly over. The fragi