"Why did you tell that to Sylvia?"
My voice rose the moment we stepped inside the grand entrance of Magnolia Manor. The sharp sound of it echoed faintly across the high ceiling, catching the attention of a nearby servant. The young man looked up, startled, but said nothing. Lance didn't reply either, he simply took hold of my arm, his grip firm but not forceful, and guided me silently toward the sweeping staircase.
We climbed the marble steps in tense silence, his hand never leaving my arm. I wanted to shake him off, but I let him lead me, too angry and confused to argue with the strange, quiet insistence in his touch. We didn't speak again until we reached the room he'd claimed as mine a newer, more lavish suite than the one I used nine years ago. Back then, I was just a girl in love, l
