Hugo never liked me wearing revealing clothes. To please him, I had filled my closet with outfits that suffocated me, while the ones I truly loved remained buried at the bottom, forgotten.
The thought alone made my chest tighten.
Tonight, I wasn’t dressing for him.
I slipped into the gown and added a touch of light makeup. The elegant cut accentuated my slender waist, the soft fabric cascading down my frame. My long, fair legs stood out against the delicate hue of the dress.
As I descended the stairs, Hugo’s gaze froze.
"Why are you dressed like that?" His voice was sharp, edged with something he couldn’t quite name.
Ava’s eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion as she studied me, her lips twitching as if suppressing a reaction.
Jasper, however, frowned impatiently. "It’s already late. Why haven’t you made dinner yet? I’m starving."
I met his gaze without a trace of emotion, my voice steady.
"I'm not eating at home tonight. You don’t have to wait for me."
The air in the room shifted. Hugo and Jasper stiffened at my words.
Jasper’s face darkened. "If you don’t cook, what are we supposed to eat?"