Chapter 6

Violet's birthday banquet was held in the garden of the Sullivan family's old estate. When I arrived, the champagne tower glittered. Violet, in a moon-white gown, stood arm-in-arm with Liam in the center of the terrace, the diamond necklace around her neck dazzling. "I'm so glad you could come, Wendy." She linked her arm intimately with mine, but her nails dug quietly into the old scar on my forearm. "Liam said just yesterday he was afraid you were still angry with me." Liam's gaze fell on the bandage on my arm. He frowned slightly, but his tone was flat. "If you're unwell, you should be resting at home." "I couldn't miss giving a gift." I smiled, extricating my arm from Violet's grasp, and pulled a brown paper package from my bag. "I found this at a flea market. They say it was part of our grandmother's dowry when she married into the Croft family." Violet's face instantly lost all color. It was a jade bracelet, the Croft family crest engraved inside. Last year, she had secretly pawne