Annabelle ended the call with a trembling hand, her phone slipping onto the dresser with a muted thud. Hazel’s words still rang in her head, each syllable a fresh sting. Richard’s name sat in her chest like a shard of glass she couldn’t pull free.
The door swung open without so much as a knock. Annabelle’s frown deepened the instant she saw Abigail step in, all smug poise and silent claim over the air in the room. Bitterness welled up in her throat like bile.
“Well, well…” Abigail drawled, lips curling into a predatory smile. “That was quite the performance downstairs. Richard looked so worried—honestly, it was almost cute.”
Annabelle’s jaw tightened. “What do you want?”
Abigail’s eyes glittered. “Oh, nothing…” she said airily, strolling into the room like she owned it. “Just thought y
