"I wasn't talking to you either," she said, voice low, sharp, each word cutting through the air like a blade. "So… shut the fuck up."
Raya didn't look directly at Kaelo, just a sidelong glance, precise and piercing. And somehow, that half-glance carried the authority Adrian's woman was supposed to wield effortlessly. It was the kind of dominance that didn't need shouting; the air itself seemed to bend under its weight.
The entire dining hall froze.
Breaths stalled mid-lung, forks paused mid-air, even the soft hum of conversation seemed to vanish. The chandelier lights above flickered briefly, casting sharp patterns that mirrored the sudden stillness of the room.
Kaelo stared at her, wide-eyed, as though Raya's words had left an invisible bruise across her face. First shock, then indignation, then a flicker of disbelief, anger that had once made her fierce and untouchable.
Kaelo stood abruptly, her chair scraping harshly against the marble.
