Chapter 40

\### **Chapter 39**

**Donna's POV**

The room was draped in shadows, none other than the faint glow from the candlelight casting long, flickering shapes across the walls. The air was thick with the scent of lavender, but not even that could mask the tension that weighed heavily on Donna's mind. She sat in front of the mirror, her fingers lightly caressing the edges of a letter that had not been sent, while her mind seemed to be flying far away from the activity at hand.

Lilith. The girl was growing too bold for Donna's taste, too sure of her place in the manor. She was starting to think she could run the whole house, that she was beyond anyone's reach. But Donna had other plans. The upcoming ball would be just the moment she needed. She was going to ruin Lilith, destroy her reputation in front of everyone, and soon she would be nothing more than a memory.

The door creaked open, and Donna didn’t flinch. She knew who it was. Matilda had been expected.

"You’re late," Donna said, her voice crisp but without real irritation. She remained focused on the mirror, her fingers continuing their delicate work.

Matilda entered the room, a smile serenely plastered on her lips. "I had a few things to attend to," she said smoothly, gliding past Donna and easing herself into the chair beside the window. Her eyes scanned the room with the lazy, familiar grace that Donna had come to know all too well.

"Make yourself comfortable," Donna said, not looking at her, "but we do have things to talk about."

Matilda did not say anything at once. She seemed lost in thought for a moment, looking out the window into the garden beneath her window. Then, when she spoke, her tone was casual, but there was an edge to it. "What are we doing about Lilith?"

A small, wicked smile played on Donna's lips. "That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." She got up, moved across the room to her vanity, and looked down at the unopened letter; the words now proved irrelevant. "The ball comes in as the perfect opportunity. No one will suspect a thing, and we'll have all the distractions we need. It'll be her final night in the spotlight."

Matilda lurched forward in her chair, her eyes sparkling with interest. "You've thought this through, haven't you? She won't know what hit her."

Donna's smile spread wide. "Exactly. She's too comfortable. Too naïve. She thinks she has everyone wrapped around her finger, but we both know how fragile she really is. We'll show her just how easily everything can come crashing down."

Matilda’s lips curled into an approving smirk. "I like this plan. You’re ruthless."

Donna turned to face her friend, the gleam of ambition in her eyes. "I’ve had enough of her. She thinks she’s invincible, but she’s nothing more than a pawn in a game she doesn’t even understand. I’ll make sure she’s out of the picture, once and for all."

A moment of silence passed between the two women as the weight of their mutual purpose sank into the room like a heavy fog. Donna's mind was racing with details about the plan, calculating every move, every gesture that would seal Lilith's doom. The ball would be the moment to strike-no one would expect it, and Lilith's ruin would be compete before the night was through.

"Is everything planned?" Matilda asked, breaking the silence as she leaned back in her chair.

Donna nodded, a gleam in her eye. "Everything's set into action. All we need is the right time. And that time will arise at the ball."

Matilda let off a silent chuckle, almost to relish the thought. "I just can't wait to see her falling. She just deserves it."

Donna's gaze strayed, her attention veering off the plan momentarily. There was something in Matilda's words that snagged her attention. The casual manner with which she said it—almost too casual—was unlike her usually detached intonations.

Before Donna could remark, Matilda shifted in her chair, and Donna's eyes caught a glimpse of something that stopped her mid-thought. There, just beneath Matilda's collar, was a faint bruise-a mark that was unmistakable in its shape and color.

A hickey.

Donna's expression hardened in an instant, and her gaze whipped back to Matilda, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Matilda." The word was low, the words escaping her lips like a warning.

Matilda's face reddened almost imperceptibly, and she quickly shifted in her seat, trying to disguise the mark by angling her head, but Donna had already seen it. There, on the neck of Matilda, was a dark, unmistakable mark-one that could not go unseen.

"What's this?" Donna said in a calm voice, with the tension sharp in her words.

Matilda's eyes flickered to the floor for a second before she made herself look up, meeting Donna's eyes, her face scarlet with embarrassment. "It's nothing," she mumbled quickly and low, as if the less she said, the less attention it would attract to the mark.

Donna crossed her arms, leaning against the edge of the vanity. "Nothing?" She raised an eyebrow, her gaze scrutinizing Matilda's discomfort. "That looks like more than nothing. Who did this to you?"

Matilda bit her lip, refusing to answer. "It's not important," she muttered, her voice laced with unease.

Donna's eyes cut like a razor, her lips curled into a knowing smile. "Not important? Are you so sure about that, Matilda? You are trying to conceal the fact, but you do not do this very well."

The room fell into heavy silence, Matilda fidgeting with her feet under Donna's intense stare.

Finally, Donna's voice cut through the silence. "You don't have to tell me, of course. But I think you and I both know who's responsible for that mark."

Matilda's lips shut tightly, and she looked away once more. "It was. nothing important," she persisted, this time much more insistent.

Donna moved closer to her, her tone growing colder. "Matilda, don't lie to me. Who was it? Who put that mark on you?"

Color was high in Matilda's cheeks now as her eyes darted nervously around the room. She opened her mouth to speak before quickly shutting it again, her lips pressed tightly together. She wouldn't tell-not yet, not to Donna.

"Fine," Donna said, stepping back, her smile dark and knowing. "You can keep your little secret. But don't think it escapes me. Whoever it was must have had a good reason to leave a mark like that."

Matilda remained silent, but the tension between them was as thick as a cut knife. Donna knew that Matilda wasn't telling her a complete truth, but for the time being, she let it slide. There had to be no room for distractions in their plan.

"We’ll deal with Lilith," Donna said, shifting back to the matter at hand, her voice cold and calculating. "The ball is the perfect setting. We’ll make sure she’s humiliated beyond repair. And once she’s broken, we’ll finish the job."

Matilda nodded slowly, a dark smile playing on her lips. "You know, I’ve been waiting for this. Lilith thinks she’s untouchable, but we’ll prove her wrong."

Donna smiled back, her eyes glinting with malice. "Oh, we will. And once she's gone, we can move on to more. important matters."

Matilda returned her gaze, her expression calculating. "Yes. Let's make sure she never sees the light of day again."

A moment of silence passed between the two women as the bond of secrecy and shared malice grew thicker in the air. They both knew Lilith's time was running out, and once the ball was over, there would be nothing in their way. The plan had been set, and nothing would stop them from finishing what they started-no amount of distractions or secrets that seemed to pop up around them.