Chapter 322

Author's pov The tension from dinner still hung in the air as everyone trickled back into the house. People gathered in the living room, pretending to enjoy fruit platters and small talk, but their attention was elsewhere. Everyone was thinking the same thing. What the hell happened upstairs? About an hour later, Sebastian and Cecilia finally came down the staircase together. The shift in the room was instant. Conversations stalled, eyes turned. Even the air felt heavier. "Feeling better?" Luna Regina asked, her tone pleasant but her eyes sharp as glass. Cecilia kept her expression calm. There was no trace of panic, no sign of the emotional storm still swirling beneath the surface. "Much better, thank you." "Thank you for your hospitality. Dinner was wonderful, and I truly enjoyed the evening," she added smoothly. Her voice was polite, practiced-- as if she'd rehearsed every word. Then came the pivot. "It's getting late. I should head out." The sentence landed like a cue. Guests began