Rose stopped dead on the marble steps, her features faltering. She was completely shocked, her hand gripping the railing as she stared at the other woman. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, her voice dropping into a defensive, tight whisper.
Alex didn't blink, her posture radiating an ironclad hostility that cut straight through the pleasantries. She leaned in just enough so her words wouldn't carry down the hall to Grace. "I see beneath that mask of yours, Rose," she murmured, her eyes holding a dangerous, knowing weight. Without waiting for a response or giving her a chance to recover, Alex turned on her heel and walked off, her boots clicking sharply as she left Rose stranded on the staircase.
Soon they’ll board the plane, the roar of the jet engines swallowing the underlying tens
