Villain Ch 1908. A Gauntlet Thrown
The way she said it, all lazy confidence and velvet edge, made Allen pause with his fork halfway to his mouth.
Her eyes glittered like wine in the late afternoon sun slanting through the windows. Outside, the mountain air shimmered over a landscape so perfect it felt unreal—evergreens swaying gently, the lake below catching flecks of gold.
Inside, the private villa dining room was bathed in warm light, thick with scent—roasted garlic, buttery bread, grilled meat, faint perfume. Too much perfume.
And every drop of it was aimed at him.
Allen leaned back slightly in his chair, his eyes lazily scanning the table. To anyone else, it might look like a casual glance. To his girls? A gauntlet thrown.
Vivian licked her spoon a little too slow.
Bella traced circles on her wine glass, tongue flicking her lips like a fox who found the henhouse unlocked.
