Chapter 69: Poison
Sunday was supposed to be relaxing and chill. Though they were certain Elliot had caught Damien and Vivienne together, the aftermath wasn’t clear.
Aveline didn’t worry much. She hadn’t intended to burn the Sinclair house down, just cause some trouble. Damien was too smart to be flustered by Elliot Sinclair.
So she lounged next to her mother, getting her nails done after a manicure and a pedicure. Henry and Charles had ditched their work and sat nearby, sipping tea and chatting.
That’s when they heard the doorbell. None of them had visitors scheduled.
The butler checked the monitor and returned quickly. "Sir, the Ashford family is here."
Everyone’s expression changed. They were truly not in the mood to act and host the Ashford family. Their appearance only made their wounds raw.
Aveline almost cursed out aloud. Instead, she sucked in a breath and composed herself. "Alright, let’s take it easy." She said, lifting her head. "You’re all mad, stay mad. I’ll handle it." She could only hope things didn’t go out of hand.
Margaret blinked, concern flickering in her eyes. There was something unnervingly composed about Aveline today. Like she had rehearsed this chaos and knew exactly how to walk through it.
Henry nodded to the butler to let them in. Though he agreed to Aveline, he was prepared to show the Ashfords their places if they dared to point their finger at Aveline.
The Ashford couple entered with smiles that didn’t reach their eyes. Damien followed, quiet and unreadable. The butler welcomed them inside, but none of the Laurents made an effort to move an inch.
"Damien..." She made a show by rising from the chair, then paused, glancing at the nail artist. "Oh my, we are in the middle of our session." She turned to the three, feigning guilt, "You should’ve informed me prior."