Another pair of footsteps echoed before a second girl hesitated at the edge of the foyer, as if unsure she was even allowed to step inside.
That was Octavia Montclair.
Her brown hair was the same shade as her mother’s, with the same caramel highlights, but it was scraped up into a messy bun that looked like it hadn’t been brushed properly in days. Shewore an oversized T-shirt and sweatpants instead of designer clothes like the other Montclairs we had met.
Her shoulders were hunched, with her brown eyes fixed on the floor. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she murmured, starting to back away. “I didn’t realize people were in here.”
“Don’t be silly, Octavia,” Antoinette said, rolling her eyes. “Come meet the new staff.”
Octavia approached slowly, arms wrapping around herself. For a moment, her eyes flicked up and met mine.
There was a small, desperate spark of hope there that made my heart clench.
It was obvious from one look that she was mistreated.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said softly.
“They know to keep an eye on you in case you hurt your sister again,” Antoinette added, smiling sweetly at Delphine while dropping that accusation casually.
Octavia flinched as if she’d been struck. She ducked her head again, shoulders curling inward.
Behind them, an older teen walked in. I recognized him as Archibald Montclair, the eldest brother of the sisters. He had the same brown hair and bright brown eyes as his parents, wearing an expensive shirt and slacks, with the bored expression of someone who thought the world owed him everything.
Antoinette, Humphrey, Archibald, and Octavia were sugar glider shifters. Delphine, we’d been told, was a flying squirrel shifter.
In my ear, Jesper’s voice came through the comms. “Something isdefinitelyoff. Watch the adopted daughter. The biological one doesn’t seem like an aggressor, unless she’s a better actress than I can tell.”
“Understood,” Cassie murmured. She kept her eyes demurely lowered, but I saw the sharp calculation in them.
We were dismissed with a wave of Humphrey’s hand and instructed to “familiarize ourselves with our duties.” Though it really seemed that they just wanted us to blend into the background and shut up.
By the time dinner rolled around, I was seething.
During the afternoon, I’d watched Delphine glide through the house like the golden child. Staff even fawned over her, and her parents and brother cooed over every word that came out of her mouth. Octavia was ignored or corrected whenever she spoke.
Every time Antoinette raised her voice, Octavia flinched as if she’d been struck.
Delphine smirkedevery single time.
None of her family seemed to notice.
At dinner, we stood around the dining room in our stupid, demeaning uniforms, positioned along the walls, while the Montclairs dined at a long, polished table of dark wood. Crystal chandeliers glittered obnoxiously overhead. Gold-rimmed plates and cutlery gleamed as they ate.
The decor would’ve been stunning if not for the suffocating tension.
I watched Delphine carefully. She laughed at something Archibald said, then reached for the teapot. As she poured a cup, I caught her doing something I did every morning. A tiny pinch of powder slipped from her fingers into the steaming liquid, dissolving without a trace.
She lifted the cup, and our gazes met.
Her bright blue eyes curved, and the corners of her lips lifted into a sweet smile. “You there,” she said, her voice honeyed and innocent. “What’s your name?”
I stepped forward slightly and bowed my head in polite courtesy. “Ana, Miss Montclair.” The lie slid off my tongue easier when it was to someone I didn’t respect.
“Ana,” she repeated my name with a tilt of her head. “Well, you’ve done very well on your first day. Would you like some tea?”
I smiled, matching hers, and walked over to her, accepting the delicate cup from her. “I wouldlovesome, thank you.”
“She poisoned it,” Slater groaned in my ear.
