Naturally, Marks had every right to share a table with Lirael—and they were seated quite close. Just moments earlier, they'd been discussing a potential collaboration between their families, with everything progressing smoothly. Marks had been confident the deal would proceed without complications.
Then abruptly, Demontae and Naviya made a loud commotion in the banquet hall. The moment they raised their voices, every eye in the room turned toward them. Marks immediately looked over—only to see his own son provoking Eldric.
His stomach dropped. A wave of dread washed over him. This could jeopardize everything with the Veyra Family.
Because the man Demontae was targeting? He was Lirael's personal guest. When she'd entered earlier, Eldric had walked shoulder-to-shoulder with her. That leve
