Chapter 4

The sheer force of their will dragged me to the gala. I hated every minute of it, but I used it as an opportunity. While Charlie, ever the picture of demure elegance, chose a soft, flowing gown in a delicate shade of peach, I opted for a fire-engine red, skin-tight number with a dangerously high slit. It screamed defiance, a stark contrast to her calculated perfection. I wasn't just attending; I was a living, breathing provocation.

As we entered the ballroom, the air thick with polite chatter and the clinking of champagne flutes, Griffin led Charlie to the center of the floor. My stomach dropped. I had expected him to perform the opening dance with me. That was the custom. That was our custom. But he bypassed me, his eyes fixed on Charlie, a possessive glint in his gaze.

"Hayden is still recovering from her accident," he announced to the room, his voice smooth, a practiced balm. "Charlie, ever the thoughtful sister, has agreed to stand in for her tonight."

A ripple went through the crowd. Whispers, like rustling silk, followed them as they swayed to the music. "Did you see that?" "Poor Hayden, always in Charlie's shadow." "Griffin looks quite pleased."

He held Charlie close, his hand resting on the small of her back. She leaned into him, her smile wide and artificial, a perfect corporate wife in the making. They moved with an almost unsettling synchronicity, attracting every eye in the room. I felt a chill, not of jealousy, but of profound disgust.

I couldn't stand it. The suffocating formality, the false smiles, the sight of them together. I turned sharply, weaving through the chattering guests, and found my way to a deserted balcony. The cool night air hit my face, a welcome shock after the stifling heat of the ballroom. I leaned against the ornate railing, taking deep, shaky breaths.

"Enjoying the fresh air, Hayden?" Charlie's voice, syrupy sweet, startled me. She had followed me. Of course, she had. Like a shadow, always trailing, always lurking.

I didn't turn around. "Go away, Charlie. Your perfectly choreographed evening awaits."

She walked closer, her heels clicking softly on the marbled floor. "Oh, I'm just making sure you're alright. You looked a little... out of place in there. Griffin was worried."

"Griffin was worried?" I scoffed. "He was too busy playing house with his new toy. You can have him, Charlie. He's all yours."

She giggled, a sound that grated on my nerves. "He's already mine, Hayden. He always has been. You were just a temporary inconvenience. A distraction. Now, he sees who truly understands him, who truly values what he offers." She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a theatrical whisper. "He even told me how much he appreciates my understanding, my grace, my... breeding. Unlike your mother, who was nothing but a wild, untamed thing."

My blood ran cold. My mother. She had always been off-limits. My mother, the free spirit Edmond had tried and failed to control, the woman whose memory kept me fighting even when I wanted to give up. Charlie knew this. She knew she was pushing a button.

A red haze descended over my vision. My heart hammered against my ribs. Without thinking, without a single rational thought, I spun around. My hand flew out, connecting with her cheek with a resounding smack. The sound echoed in the quiet night.

Charlie's eyes, wide with disbelief, stared at me. Her perfect cheek bore the angry red imprint of my palm. "You... you hit me!" she stammered, her voice a shocked gasp.

"That's right," I snarled, my voice low and dangerous. "And that was just a warning. Don't you ever mention my mother again. Do you understand? I may have been tamed for a while, but I still remember how to fight. And you, little sister, have no idea what I'm capable of." My hand, still tingling from the impact, balled into a fist. "I could break you, Charlie. With my bare hands. Don't ever test me."

Fear, raw and unmistakable, flickered in her eyes. Good. Let her be afraid. But then her face twisted, her eyes filling with tears, a new wave of calculated victimhood washing over her.

"You're insane!" she cried, her voice rising in a desperate wail. "You're a monster!"

Before I could react, before the tears could even fully form, I grabbed her arm. With a surge of strength fueled by pure rage, I shoved her hard against the railing. She let out a choked scream, her balance gone. Over the edge she went, tumbling into the darkness below.

Her shriek, sharp and terrified, tore through the night, then abruptly cut off. A sickening thud followed, somewhere far beneath us.

Hayden POV: