The conversation around the table flowed with the easy, glittering falseness that only old money could master.Celeste Blackwood, draped in navy silk and diamonds, kept her fingers anchored to Elara’s hand, smoothing over her knuckles as if trying to mold her into a more pliable shape.“You’ve grown so beautifully, dear,” Celeste said, her voice syrupy and thick with feigned affection. “You’ll fit in perfectly. We always knew you would.”Elara offered a polite, hollow smile, sipping her champagne. The bubbles felt like needles on her tongue.Across the table, Damien’s elder brother, Marcus, chuckled in that booming, arrogant way that had once made Elara shrink into her seat. “And here we thought you’d be a little mouse forever. Look at you now. A proper Blackwood jewel.”Laughter scattered around the table like dry leaves. Selene, sitting awkwardly at the edge of the inner circle, forced a laugh a beat too late, her eyes darting between Elara and the brothers.Elara tilted her head, l
Last Updated : 2026-04-03 Read more