Chapter 13: The Devil’s Compromise
At Ravenshire Mansion,
In the grand dining hall, under the watchful, pleased eyes of Celeste and the housekeeper, Damien gracefully poured wine for Aveline. His movements were effortless, his demeanor perfectly composed– but his sharp gaze never left his wife.
Clearly, she wasn't herself.
No, she wasn't acting strange. If anything, she was nauseatingly sweet, her laughter light, her voice gentle, yet he could sense it. Something was off.
That flinch.
The moment he had reached out earlier, she had flinched. She had never done that before.
Was she scared of him?
She should fear him, but why now?
He never raised his voice at her, much less hit her. His control over her had never required violence. So why did she suddenly react like he was about to strike her?
He continued to analyze. Her change had started last night. After that nightmare. The way she had cried in his arms, yet refused to tell him what haunted her.
Damien twirled a loose curl of her brown hair between his fingers and tucked it behind her ear. There it was, her lips softly curled up, her gaze lowered, shy under Celeste's eyes, but her cheeks?