Chapter 36

The Cadwell family dinner began promptly at seven. Heidi was seated two places to Ronald's right, with Maverick's seat empty beside her. Across the table sat Orion and his wife, Margaret, who had only just returned. Margaret was the textbook image of a well-bred wife from an elite family. Her features were gentle, her voice soft, and her manners impeccable. Her marriage to Orion had been arranged, and the two treated each other with courteous respect. To outsiders, they looked like a perfectly matched couple. But Heidi noticed it at once. When Margaret looked at Orion, there was a fleeting glimmer of affection in her eyes that was carefully concealed. It was unlike Heidi herself, who had loved openly and fiercely, in full view of everyone. But in the end, all that passion had left behind nothing but a mess, with no grateful way to clean it up. A spread of dishes and soup were laid out on the table, all light and health-focused. However, since Ronald didn't start the meal, and no