The Rowan mansion was filled with the sound of tinkling glasses, rustling silken gowns, and the soft hum of conversation. The monthly family dinner was always a lavish display of wealth, power, and influence, and tonight it would be a stage for destruction.Ava had sat at the long table, with Elara slumbering in her arms—wrapped up safely in her specialized baby carrier. The child had served as Ava's crutch, the embodiment of everything pure and strong and unbreakable, since her return to the mansion. Still, even as Ava cradled the child in her arms, she felt as though everyone watched her, waited on her. Serena, seated across the table, beamed with way too much joy, like a warning flare was radiating off of her.Ethan held her hand occasionally, trying to hold her fast in the whirlwind of events. He had been silent all evening, pensive, absent-minded, and aware of Serena’s complacent presence and the danger of the DNA test to be revealed tonight.The dinner had been a well-thought-ou
Last Updated : 2026-02-09 Read more