Whatever passed between them was old, well-worn, sharp at the edges. Arden wasn’t sure if it was resentment or resignation.
Or both.
Alex held her gaze long enough to unsettle Arden.
Then, a shift. A retreat. A recalibration.
He chuckled softly, stepping away. “Don’t be a stranger.”
Light words. Heavy weight.
He didn’t look back.
Cate didn’t watch him go. She looked at Arden.
And for the first time, Arden saw beneath the surface. Not the flawless wife. Not the untouchable Blackwell. But a woman who knew exactly who she was married to and what it cost to stay.
Something flickered across Cate’s face.
A warning.
But if it had words, they stayed unspoken.
She turned and followed him.
The scent of Cate’s perfume, crisp and cold, cut through the heavier warmth of the bar, leaving a sharper edge behind.
Ardenfinallyexhaled.
Seatedat the far end of the table beside Hawthorne cousin Julia Fenton, Colton Blake looked at ease—legs crossed, glass in hand, posture deceptively casual.
But anyone paying attention could see it: he was a blade at rest.
Coiled, not careless.
Idle, not inert.
He didn’t speak often.
But when he did, his words hit like a cocked gun in a quiet room.
Tonight was no different.
He caught Gideon’s eye, his expression calm but sharpened at the edges. “Interesting choice,” he said. “She seems competent enough. For now.”
Gideon didn’t blink. “She is.”
Colton swirled his glass, the movement smooth but deliberate. “Competence is a fragile currency in this world. It’s not just about keeping pace. It’s knowing when to step back.”
A warning.
A test.
To anyone else, it might’ve sounded like advice.
To Gideon, it wasn’t that. It was a warning.
A reminder: family was watching.
