"Isn't this supposed to be her house?"
The whisper was loud enough for Zorina to catch as she passed by two women standing near the buffet table.
Their gazes flicked to her and then to the center of the ballroom, where Kael and Liora stood, their hands intertwined.
Zorina’s grip on the tray she carried tightened, but she kept her composure. She had spent the entire day ensuring this event ran flawlessly, yet no one seemed to acknowledge her efforts.
Instead, all eyes were on Liora, the supposed jewel of the evening.
“Zorina!” Liora’s high-pitched voice sliced through the air, silencing the murmurs.
Zorina turned, her steps measured, as she walked toward the couple. Liora’s smile was sweet, but her tone was anything but.
“Could you be a dear and let the staff know the dessert service is taking too long? It’s terribly embarrassing for such a grand event, don’t you think?” Liora’s eyes glinted with mock concern.
Kael said nothing, sipping his champagne, his eyes scanning the crowd as if his wife didn’t exist.
“I’ll see to it,” Zorina replied evenly, though the words tasted bitter on her tongue.
As she turned to leave, Liora’s voice stopped her again. “Oh, and Zorina?”
Zorina paused, her back straight. “Yes?”
Liora’s smile widened, dripping with false charm. “You might want to take notes on how to host an event like this. I’d hate for you to feel overshadowed in your own home.”
The room erupted in polite laughter, though Zorina could see some guests averting their eyes, uncomfortable with the blatant insult.
Kael chuckled softly, leaning closer to Liora. “She’ll learn,” he said dismissively.
Zorina felt the sting of humiliation burn deep, but she refused to let it show. She gave Liora a curt nod and walked away, her heart pounding in her chest.
When she moved away from the ballroom, she halted at a distance and turned to watch as Kael and Liora basked in the attention of the crowd.
Liora laughed at something Kael said, her hand resting on his arm possessively.
“Quite the pair, aren’t they?”
Zorina turned to see her father-in-law, Lord Veridan, standing beside her. His eyes, sharp and knowing, were fixed on the couple.
“Quite,” Zorina replied, her voice flat.
He glanced at her, his expression unreadable. “And what do you plan to do about it?”
The question caught her off guard. “Do about it?”
“You’re not one to sit quietly and let the world trample you, Zorina,” he said, his tone low. “I didn’t bring you into this family to be a bystander.”
Zorina looked at him, searching his face for any sign of the man who had once shown her kindness. “You brought me here to serve Kael’s ambitions. That’s all I’ve ever been to him—a tool.”
His eyes narrowed. “Kael doesn’t understand the value of what he has. But that doesn’t mean you should let him or anyone else diminish you.”
Before she could respond, he walked away, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
