Evelyn's POV

For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the faint clinking of glasses and the murmur of uneasy guests. I thought that would finally end it.

But I should’ve known better.

Lily’s smirk returned slowly, polished and practiced, as if she’d rehearsed it all her life. The tension in the room only seemed to feed her.

Her tone turned sugar-sweet as she spoke again. “You’ve always had a way with words, Evelyn,” she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. ...