(Owen’s POV)
I leaned back slightly in my chair in the living room, watching the casual conversations flow around me. My mind, however, was elsewhere, clouded by the tension I felt every time Vivienne tried to draw my attention. She had been like this for years, ever since we met at Uncle Nathaniel and Catherine’s wedding. Her interest in me had been clear from the start, but I never reciprocated it.
I was used to her constant efforts to get close…her lingering touches, her overly sweet smiles but this time, it felt different. When she had thrown herself onto me earlier in front of everyone, hugging me tightly, I had stiffened, uncomfortable and irritated. Out of reflex, my eyes had darted to Aurora.
Her expression was composed, but there was something in her eyes…a flicker of hurt, qui
