Chapter 4

No one answered Margaret Vale.

For a few seconds, the entire banquet hall held its breath.

Serena stood at the signing table with her hand still hovering over the gold pen. The smile on her face did not disappear at once. It stayed fixed, delicate, and perfectly practiced, like she had not yet understood that everyone in the room was now looking at her for the wrong reason.

Adrian turned toward the entrance.

"Mrs. Vale," he said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "This is clearly a misunderstanding."

Margaret walked forward.

Her silver-handled cane struck the marble floor once with…