Chapter 3 - Twenty Minutes of Freedom
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"Look at you," Evelyn murmured, her voice a low hiss as she stopped right behind my shoulder. "A swollen, clumsy burden dragging your common blood through halls that belong to generations of aristocrats."
I kept my eyes fixed forward, gripping the carved wooden banister. Experience had taught me that arguing with Evelyn was like shouting into a hurricane; it only fueled her cruel satisfaction. "I’m going upstairs to rest, Evelyn. Julian will be back soon."
"Julian is a disappointment," she spat out, her composure slipping just enough to reveal the raw, bitter obsession underneath. "He was meant to lead Armitage Global. He was meant to stand beside Celeste Harrington at high-society galas, not play house with a nurse's daughter in a suburban fantasy."
"Julian chooses his own life," I replied, my voice shaking slightly despite my best efforts to sound brave. "He loves our life."
"He is playing a game," Evelyn laughed softly, a sound that sent a shiver straight down my spine. "A pathetic little rebellion against a mother who knows what is best for him. But games must end. Especially when they threaten to stain the family name with common lineage."
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I took a shaky step upward, my foot finding the first riser of the grand marble staircase. The stairs were wide, majestic, and impossibly steep to someone carrying nine months of life. I just needed to reach the landing. Twelve more steps. Twelve steps to safety. Twelve steps until Julian walked back through those front doors and wrapped his arms around me.
Behind me, Evelyn took a slow, deliberate breath. I heard the faint rustle of her cream suit fabric. I felt the air shift behind my back—a sudden, violent displacement of space that defied all human decency.
