Chapter 40.
The dining table was a study in dangerous proximity. Eliza sat at the head, her eyes bright with talk of floral arrangements, while Mallory and Archer sat across from each other, deep in a debate about the base's upcoming charity auction. Briar sat trapped between the two most important men in her life. To her right sat Archer, his shoulder occasionally bumping hers as he gestured with a fork. To her left sat Victor. If Archer was a warm, familiar presence, Victor was a dark, looming storm front. He didn't speak much, his attention seemingly fixed on his plate, but the air between him and Briar was thick enough to choke on. Every time he shifted, the scent of pine and cold air rolled over her, a silent reminder of the night before. Victor’s expression a mask of disciplined indifferenc
- Writer
