“Oh, losing your cool already? I thought you prided yourself on being unshakable.”
This banquet, masquerading as a wine-tasting party, carried far more weight than a simple social affair. For Katelyn, blending in with the crowd or pretending to care for superficial pleasantries was not on the agenda.
Rather than swallowing her words to keep the peace, she savored the freedom of unfiltered honesty.
And then, out of nowhere, a loud thud reverberated.
The sharp sound of glass hitting the table echoed through the room, cutting through the low murmur of conversations. Heads swiveled toward the source, their gazes landing squarely on Annie and Katelyn. Annie’s face darkened, her displeasure evident as she snapped, “Katelyn, I’m addressing you respectfully, so cut the sarcasm!”
Across from Annie, Katelyn reclined with an air of unshaken calm, her posture relaxed and unbothered. Katelyn’s gaze rested on Annie with a detached amusement, her lips curling into a faint, teasing smile. “So, expressing that you were consumed with thoughts of me counts as sarcasm now? Unless, of course, you weren’t. In that case, what’s with the fake friendly appearance?”
The tension in the room thickened as those present exchanged cautious glances. Annie’s rank as an earl was enough to keep any dissent firmly under wraps. Still, a flicker of admiration for Katelyn’s audacity passed through some of the onlookers. Confronting someone of Annie’s stature wasn’t just rare—it was almost unthinkable.
Fiona, stationed near the edge of the gathering, pretended not to notice the escalating drama. Her main goal at this point was to avoid being drawn into it. Observing the brewing conflict, Ryanna’s subtle frown deepened. Without raising her voice, she addressed Fiona, “Didn’t you have a surprise planned? Let’s not waste any more time.”
Though she didn’t explicitly take Annie’s side, her disapproval of Fiona’s inaction was evident in her tone. Snapping to attention, Fiona quickly nodded. “Of course, everything is ready to go,” she responded with a practiced smile.
Turning to the assembled guests, she announced warmly, “Thank you all for coming tonight. We’ve arranged a special wine-tasting experience, so please, let’s head over and enjoy.”
All of the people at the party were politic. The guests, always adept at reading the room, quickly understood Fiona’s intentions to de-escalate the tension for Annie’s sake. Eager to shift focus, someone spoke up with enthusiasm. “I’ve heard Miss Robles’s wine collection is unparalleled. It’s truly an honor to experience it tonight.”
Another guest chimed in smoothly, “Absolutely. Let’s not miss the opportunity to indulge.”
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A satisfied smile spread across Fiona’s face as she observed the smooth redirection of attention. With a quick glance in Katelyn’s direction, she gestured for the group to follow her toward the wine-tasting area. From her spot in the distance, Katelyn watched the charade unfold without so much as a twitch.
Annie, however, couldn’t leave without a parting shot. Her glare burned with hostility as she spat, “You’ll regret this—just wait!” before stalking off with the others.
Raising her glass to her lips, Katelyn took a deliberate sip, though the cocktail tasted disappointingly bland.
As the room emptied, Ryanna approached Katelyn, her tone laced with apology. “I must apologize. Annie has been indulged her entire life, and her behavior can be… blunt. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”
Katelyn turned her gaze to Ryanna, studying her for a moment. Though her words were gentle, there was an air of complexity about her—a serenity that seemed to conceal something deeper.
.
.
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