Chapter 5 - The Oath of Ruin
Silence descended upon the ballroom—a thick, suffocating quiet where the only sound was the faint, rhythmic dripping of red liquid from the broken edge of the table onto the white linen.
The matriarch stood frozen, her finger still raised in the air, her face pale as chalk as she looked down at her ruined dress. The red stains looked like fresh arterial blood against the shimmering silver sequins. She looked back up at Arthur, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, her absolute dominance shattered in a single second.
Arthur stepped over the broken glass, closing the distance between them until he was leaning directly into her face.
May you like
His shadow fell over her completely, blocking out the golden glow of the chandeliers. His dark eyes were empty of anger now—they held only the terrifying, unyielding promise of absolute destruction. His voice dropped into a low, rasping baritone that carried straight into her ear, so cold it made the hair on her arms stand up.
"Tomorrow, I buy this entire estate and throw you out on the streets," Arthur whispered, every syllable weighted with lethal intent.
