Silence enveloped us like a suffocating cloak. The mysterious woman at the bottom of the staircase Valeria stood there, coat half-opened, silhouette framed by the foyer’s cold light. Edward’s nostrils flared. My pulse raced, my breath caught somewhere between fear and curiosity. How had she gotten in? And more unsettling: why was she here?
The grand chandelier above us tinkled as if echoing the tension.
Valeria smiled a slow, dangerous arc of red lips. She took a lazy step forward, strolling beneath the light with predator grace.
She walks up to Edward and I. “Oh, am I interrupting anything?” she asked again.
“No, you're not “ Edward responded with his eyes fully set on hers.
“Well, Edward,” she purred, eyes glinting as she turned to him. “You wounded that poor bride enough tonight. D
