Chapter 67 Chapter 67
Violet
For a moment, I thought my eyes were lying to me.
I blinked quite a few times but the figures in front of me did not change.
They did not blur or dissolve or turn into something reasonable. They remained exactly where they were, standing beneath the golden spill of chandelier light as if they had every right to exist here.
It felt as though the world had quietly lost its color, as if someone had turned a dial and drained everything vibrant and warm from the room, leaving behind a washed-out version that looked the same but felt wrong.
Nicole did a small twirl when Lady Aurelia complimented her dress and just everything about her. And she smiled just the way it always was when she wanted to be admired.
Nate was beside her, close enough that their shoulders brushed, his hand hovering near the small of her back in a way that was both familiar and possessive. He was wearing an expensive looking suit, and I realized with a start that it was the same one I had laid out for our last date.
They were real and they were here.
My mind refused to connect the pieces. It simply stalled, stuck somewhere between disbelief and denial, unable to accept that the two people who had left scars in places no one could see had somehow walked straight into this room, into this night, into the life I had been trying so desperately to build for myself again.
Nicole’s gaze slid over me without stopping.
Her eyes did not linger and neither did they sharpen with recognition. They passed over me the way one’s gaze passes over furniture and it took me a few minutes to realize why.
She wasn’t actively ignoring me, maybe. It was the color of the dress and my hairstyle.
Of course they would ignore a maid who stood slightly apart, hands folded in front of me because I had not known what else to do with them.
That was all she saw.
“Could you please close the door?” Nicole said lightly, her tone polite but distracted, already turning her attention back to Lady Aurelia. “It’s freezing out there.”
Nate shifted, shrugging out of his coat. “And take this, would you?” he added, holding it out without looking at my face. “Thanks.”
I did not move.
I could not have moved if the floor had opened beneath me.
Lady Aurelia swept forward at once, smiling radiantly. “You made it,” she said, taking Nicole’s hands in both of hers. “I was beginning to worry your flight would be delayed.”
“Nothing could keep us away,” Nicole replied smoothly, her smile effortless as she leaned in for a kiss on Lady Aurelia’s cheek. “Not tonight.”
Nate chuckled. “You should have seen the weather over the ridge. Brutal.”
“Oh, but you’re here now,” Lady Aurelia said, already ushering them inside as though the feast had been waiting for them all along. “Come, come. You must be starving. I had the cook prepare everyone’s favorites.”
The four of them moved together unhurriedly, their conversation flowing easily, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
As if this were always how it was meant to be.
I watched them walk away from me, my body still rooted to the spot near the door, my fingers numb, my heart pounding so loudly I wondered how no one else could hear it.
How was this possible?
The question repeated itself, hollow and unanswered. My thoughts felt slow, thick, like they were moving through fog.
This was Cassie’s home and Elijah’s family at the Ironcrest Manor.
The words bounced uselessly around my skull, refusing to form anything that made sense. The past and the present collided in front of me, and I stood caught between them, unable to choose which one was real.
Laughter floated back to me faintly.
Lady Aurelia was speaking again, something about the flight, about work, about how busy everything had been lately and showered Nicole with compliments.
Nicole responded in a confident and bright voice, while Nate nodded his head as he looked around in awe.
They looked happy and comfortable, everything I wasn’t. But I still didn’t know why or how they were here.
I briefly saw Nate’s gaze fall on Elijah who sneered upon seeing him. Nate quickly looked away, pretending to study the architecture around him.
And Elijah locked his gaze with me.
Dread began to gnaw at me as I feared I was going to relive that traumatic day of my life again.
From the corner of my eye, I saw something move in my direction, something giant and bulky.
I swayed as my knees turned wobbly without realizing it, my vision narrowing, the edges darkening as the strength drained from my legs.
I was going to fall.
But then strong arms caught me before the floor could.
Elijah.
I did not say his name. I did not think about it consciously. It was simply there, lodged in my chest, in the way my body reacted instinctively to the presence behind me.
His face hovered close, tight with concern, his jaw clenched, his eyes dark as they searched mine.
“Violet,” he said quietly, his voice low and urgent. “Look at me.”
I tried.
My eyelids fluttered, heavy and uncooperative, and I felt myself sag further into his hold, my fingers curling weakly into the fabric of his shirt as if that were the only solid thing left.
Behind us, footsteps slowed.
“Oh,” Nicole’s voice cut in, light but curious. “What’s going on?”
I could picture it without looking, the way her head would tilt, the way her brows would draw together just slightly, interest sparking behind her eyes.
Her gaze did not go to me.
It went straight to Elijah.
“Well,” she said, smiling now, that familiar, measured smile I knew far too well. “This is unexpected.”
Elijah did not respond. He didn’t even look at her.
He held me tighter, one arm firm around my back, the other bracing my weight as though he would not let me slip even if the entire room collapsed around us.
There was a pause, stretched thin and fragile.
Then Nicole spoke again, her tone amused, almost fond.
“Long time no see,” she said. “Stepbrother.”