“Sophia—!” she snapped, pointing accusingly. “I know you don’t like me, but I’m still your cousin. Family is family. You shouldn’t talk like that about us!”
Sophia didn’t flinch.
Her expression didn’t change. She didn’t raise her voice. She simply looked at Violet, calm and unbothered.
“Why shouldn’t I say it?” she replied coolly. “You dare to do it, but you don’t dare to accept it?” Her gaze sharpened. “If your actions are shameful, maybe fix them instead of whining about how being exposed hurts your feelings.”
Violet’s face twisted with rage, her lips trembling as she struggled for words.
Sophia merely gave her a small, smug smile before turning away as if Violet were no longer worth her attention.
Violet stood there trembling, fists clenched so tightly her knuckles whitened. Her eyes darted around the room, silently begging for someone—anyone—to speak up and defend her.
No one did.
That only deepened the humiliation burning in her chest.
With a sharp inhale, Violet spun on her heel and stormed toward the exit.
No one stopped her.
That was when Hannah spoke.
“Sophia,” she said evenly, “why don’t you escort Violet out? It wouldn’t be nice for a guest to leave on her own.”
Sophia didn’t want to. But meeting Hannah for the first time, she didn’t want to appear rude.
She lifted her gaze, met Hannah’s eyes, and forced a polite smile before rising from her seat.
She then followed Violet out.
Violet walked ahead, stiff and furious, her steps sharp and fast. Sophia wasn’t escorting her—she was clearly throwing her out.
They reached the door. Violet stepped outside.
As Sophia reached for the handle to close it, Violet suddenly turned, stepping back into her space. Her voice dropped to a hiss.
“Sophia,” she said coldly. “My dad is hosting a party next week. You know that, right? One of the biggest business parties of the year.”
Sophia looked at her with clear disinterest.
“And?” she asked flatly. “What does that have to do with me?”
The indifference in her tone only twisted Violet’s anger further.
Her lips curled into a cruel smile, her eyes glittering with malice.
“If you don’t come,” Violet said softly, venom dripping from every word, “I’ll throw away everything your mother left behind in the house.”
She leaned in slightly. “I’ll dump itallin the trash.”
Sophia’s gaze instantly sharpened, fury flashing in her eyes the moment the threat landed.
But before she could react, Violet stepped back.
Her expression shifted smoothly, slipping into a sickly-sweet smile.
“So, Sophia,” Violet said lightly, her voice syrupy, “if you don’t come, you already know the consequences. Make sure you attend the party, okay?”
