Page 299 of Axis of Fire

Just like that...

I'd handed him another secret to obsess over.

Damn it.

Chapter 31

Gabriella hugged me so tightly it almost felt as though she truly saw me as one of her own daughters.

With warmth.

With genuine motherly affection.

Tarven’s father, Elliot, stood beside her.

More reserved.

But no less welcoming.

“It’s so wonderful that you decided to visit us today,” Gabriella said warmly, slipping an arm around my shoulders as she guided me farther into the house.

Straight toward the dining room I knew all too well.

“You absolutely have to stay for dinner.”

Unfortunately, the same enthusiasm was nowhere to be found on the faces of the three people already seated around the large oval table.

Well...

To be fair, Tarven’s younger sisters did brighten the moment they saw him.

Only for that warmth to vanish the instant their eyes landed on me.

Flora looked away immediately.

Probably to roll her eyes where no one could see.

Something she'd perfected over the years.

Daisy crossed her arms over her chest, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Rosalie, however...

Smiled.

Which made her the most dangerous person at the table.

Far more dangerous than the others.

Because she always knew exactly where to strike—

With both words and actions.

“We were nearby,” Tarven said with an easy smile.

“It would've been a crime not to stop by.”

Gabriella finally let go of me and began setting another place at the table.