Chapter 77: Where Everyone Is Watching

I was already on edge, and when he suddenly kissed me like that, my whole body went stiff.

But Caspian wasn't going for something light and quick. He pulled me closer, one hand sliding to the back of my head, clearly planning to take this further.

My brain kicked into panic mode even as my body responded. This was the Blackwood Estate. Henry's birthday party. There were people everywhere, and anyone could walk into this greenhouse at any moment.

I pushed weakly against his chest. "Wait, we can't do this here."

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes dark and unreadable in the dim light filtering through the glass panels.

"Someone could walk in," I said, breathless. "There are guests everywhere, and Henry just sent me to find you, which means people are going to notice if we take too long."

He kept looking at me like he was considering whether he cared about that or not.

"Please," I added, and something in my voice must have gotten through because he finally stepped back, though his hands stayed on my waist.

After a few more moments of him just watching me with those intense eyes, he let go completely, and I could breathe again.

I lifted my head to meet his gaze, trying to figure out what he was thinking. "Why are you even here? I didn't think you'd actually come."

"Should I not have?"

I didn't know how to answer that. He was so busy with Vale Industries, always traveling or in meetings. It would've made perfect sense if he'd skipped this party.

But he came anyway.

"No, it's just... I'm surprised, that's all." I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "You don't usually show up to these things."

He kept looking at me without saying anything.

"So is this how you usually treat people?" he finally asked. "Get them alone and then push them away?"

"I'm not treating you like just anyone, and you know it." The words came out sharper than I intended. "But we can't do this here. Not now."

"When?"

The question caught me off guard. I stared at him, trying to read his expression in the shadows.

"Dinner's starting soon," I said instead of answering. "Henry asked me to get you. Everyone's waiting."

I turned and started walking toward the greenhouse exit, but after a few steps, I realized he wasn't following. When I looked back, he was still standing there watching me.

I stopped, hesitated, then walked back and reached for his hand. "Come on."

He didn't move.

I stepped closer, went up on my toes, and kissed him quickly on the corner of his mouth. Then I dropped my voice low. "If you're free tonight, come over to my place?"

His hand shifted in mine, just slightly.

"I'll go first," I said, already backing away. "Wait a minute before you follow. We shouldn't walk in together."

This time, he nodded, and I forced myself to turn around and leave before I did something stupid again.

The moment I stepped back into the mansion, I felt it. The whole atmosphere had changed while I was gone.

Everyone was still talking and laughing, but there was this weird tension underneath it all. People's smiles looked tighter, their conversations more careful.

Then I saw why.

Damien stood in the center of a small group, looking perfectly at ease like he owned the place. Which he kind of did, being Henry's son and heir to half the Blackwood fortune.

Our eyes met across the room, and my hands clenched into fists before I could stop myself.

Out of everyone who could have shown up tonight, he was the last person I wanted to see. The divorce papers were signed, we were done, and I'd been doing a pretty good job of avoiding him for week now.

His gaze moved over me with cold assessment before he turned back to whoever was talking to him, dismissing me completely.

Fine. I didn't want his attention anyway.

"Vera."

I turned to find Evelyn beside me, her face pale and drawn. She looked like she'd aged years in the few minutes since Damien had arrived.

"Hey," I said softly, taking her hand, it was cold. "You okay?"

"I need to leave." Her voice was tight, barely controlled. "I can't be in the same room as him."

"I know. Let me walk you out."

"No, you should stay. Henry will want you here." She squeezed my hand once. "I'll be fine."

Before I could argue, a voice interrupted us.

"Mrs. Quinn."

We both turned to see Caspian standing there, having come in from the back garden. He looked completely composed, like he hadn't just been kissing me in the greenhouse five minutes ago.

Evelyn looked startled. "Oh. Hello."

"I hope you're enjoying the evening," he said politely.

"I was just leaving, actually," Evelyn said, still looking a bit flustered. "Nice to meet you."

Damien nodded and moved past us toward the main hall.

Evelyn watched him go, her expression thoughtful, before turning back to me with a strange look in her eyes.

"Vera," she said slowly. "How well do you know him?"

My heart did a weird skip. "Who, Caspian? I don't really. We've run into each other a few times at events, that's all. Why?"

She studied my face for a long moment. "Just curious. He seems... attentive."

"Attentive?" I tried to laugh it off. "He was just being polite."

"Maybe." But she didn't sound convinced. "I should go. Tell Henry I'm sorry I couldn't stay."

She left before I could ask what she meant by that, and I stood there wondering what the hell she'd noticed and how bad this was going to get.

When I made it back to the main hall, everyone was moving toward the dining room. Henry was already at the head of the long table, directing people to their seats with the ease of someone who'd hosted a thousand dinners just like this. He waved me over. "There you are! I was starting to think someone had eaten you."

"Sorry, I got caught up talking to Evelyn."

"Ah yes, shame she couldn't stay." He gestured to the seat on his left. "Sit, sit."

I sat down and immediately wished I hadn't when I realized who was sitting directly across from me.

Caspian met my eyes for half a second before I looked away, suddenly very interested in my napkin.

Henry stood with his wine glass raised, and the whole room went quiet. "I'm so happy to have you all here tonight. It means more than you know to be surrounded by family and friends." His gaze landed on me. "Even though my son Damien had to leave early, I'm grateful that Vera is here representing them both."

Oh god. Here we go.

"Vera, would you stand and help me toast?"

Every single person at that table turned to look at me.

I stood slowly, picking up my wine glass even though my hands wanted to shake. This was exactly the kind of thing Henry loved to do, put me in impossible positions where I had to play the part of a dutiful daughter-in-law.

"Vera, raise your glass for Damien since he couldn't be here," Henry said with that warm grandfatherly smile that made it impossible to refuse.

I lifted my glass toward Henry instead. "I'll join everyone in wishing you good health and happiness, today and always."

There was a split second of surprise before everyone else raised their glasses and echoed the sentiment.

Henry's smile shifted, just slightly, before he laughed and accepted the birthday wishes.

I sat back down and tried not to think about how many people in this room were now speculating about what that little moment meant.

When I finally looked up again, Caspian was watching me. He raised his glass, drank, then set it down deliberately on the table.

He didn't look at me after that.