Chapter 48: Masquerade Mishaps
Invitation?!
Behind her mask, Ruelle’s mind raced. Hailey, who had been so bubbly and confident moments ago, now stood frozen beside her, her shoulders stiff with tension. Kevin’s hand twitched nervously at his side, his breath shallow and barely audible.
The silence stretched, and no one moved.
’Well, if you change your mind, don’t be shy to ask for an invite,’ Sawyer’s words echoed in the back of Ruelle’s mind.
Her heart thudded, adrenaline rushing through her veins as the taller of the two guards stepped forward. The faint scrape of his boots against the stone floor felt unnaturally loud. If anyone found out they were impersonating vampires, it would be a disaster.
Ruelle’s nails dug into her palms, grounding her as a reckless and absurd idea took hold. She forced calmness into her movements as she stepped forward.
"Invitations?" Ruelle repeated with a drawl, as if the very word were beneath her. Tilting her chin just enough to appear both arrogant and dismissive, she let out a sharp exhale, the kind one might use when dealing with particularly insubordinate staff. "I should have known. My father always complains about this—every time he’s come here, he mentions the manor’s tardiness. You must be new not to recognise the distinguished D’Arvelles."
Behind her, Kevin made a small noise of confusion, but Hailey quickly elbowed him, silencing any protest. Ruelle felt the guard’s gaze drilling into her. Her pulse pounded in her ears, but she kept her face confident.
"I don’t need an invitation. Unless, of course, you have something against my family?" she continued, meeting the taller guard’s gaze with a glare. "Or perhaps you would prefer I tell my father about your... tardiness in recognising the pureblooded vampire lineage?"
The taller guard hesitated, his scepticism lingering. Ruelle caught the slight flicker of doubt in his gaze, her fingers trembling for a fleeting moment before she clasped them behind her back.
"Perhaps there’s been a mistake," the taller guard muttered.