By the time Allison and Simone returned to Lucian's house, the sky had turned the color of steel.
It matched Allison's mood perfectly.
The car had barely stopped before Simone leaned toward her and said, "Okay. Before we go in, I need you to know something."
Allison glanced at her. "What?"
"That woman was not normal."
Allison let out a humorless laugh. "Vivienne?"
"Yes. Her. Champagne dress. Poison smile. 'I give warnings because I'm bored' energy."
"She was testing me."
"She was baiting you," Simone corrected. "And you were one sentence away from politely removing her head."
Allison smiled faintly. "But I didn't."
"Growth," Simone said. "Terrifying growth."
The driver opened the door. Allison stepped out first, her face calm, but her eyes sharp. Simone followed, still dressed in her fitted crimson dress, heels clicking against the stone like punctuation.
Inside, the house was not quiet.
Voices drifted from the study.
Lucian's low, controlled tone.
