She ignored me, stepped closer, and seized my wrist. Her nails dug into my skin.
“Want to know what we were doing on your sofa last night?” she whispered. “Or what just happened in the guest room?”
Her smile was sharp. “Julian says he likes women who take chances — not fragile little birds trapped in gilded cages.” She leaned closer, her breath cold against my ear. “And the baby he’s bringing home? She’s mine. Congratulations. You’re going to raise my child now.”
Seraphine’s lips curved as she leaned closer.
“You know, I was never truly blind,” she confessed lightly. “I paid the doctor to fake the diagnosis. I wanted to see just how far Julian would go for me.” She brushed two fingers along my cheek, mockingly gentle. “Turns out he’d go anywhere. Your corneas weren’t taken because I needed them… they were taken because I wanted proof. And he handed them over without hesitation.”
Everything went quiet except the blood rushing through my ears.
“So now I understand,” she added softly. “You were just a promise he once made. I’m the one he chose to keep.”
A laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it.
She stiffened. “What are you laughing at? Have you finally lost it?”