Chapter 49

After a few minutes of half-heard whispers and sidelong glances, Cassandra finally pieced together the evening’s deception. She pressed her back against the soft beige wall of Victoria’s living room, heart pounding as she listened to the hushed admissions tick around her.

“So—your husband set this up to trick my husband?” Cassandra’s voice was quiet, but it carried across the circle of friends.

A chorus of resigned sighs answered her. One by one, heads nodded.

“They’re all at it,” Victoria said, shaking her head in bemused exasperation. The low glow of the chandelier picked out the gold threads in her dark hair. “We’ve come to expect their nonsense, but this stunt caught you off-guard. You’re new to the Valkyriesa; you don’t yet know their games.”

Anito—sitting beside Victoria—reached out to rest a gentle hand on Cassandra’s arm. “Please, don’t cry,” she murmured. Her green eyes were soft with sympathy. “We cherish you like the baby sister none of us had. We’