Chapter 3

Aria POV:

Heavy spices masked the natural smell of the meat on my fork. Holding back a wave of nausea, I put the piece in my mouth and chewed twice.

The meat was unusually tender, but a strange, gamey aftertaste made my throat tighten up. I forced myself to swallow it, set the fork down, and looked coldly at Brittny standing beside me.

Seeing me swallow, the malice in Brittny's eyes flared into pure glee. She covered her mouth and let out a sharp giggle, turning back toward Brennan.

"Honey, it looks like Aria really loves this dish."

Brennan was busy cutting his steak and didn't even lift his head. "If she likes it, let her eat the whole bowl."

Brittny looked back at me and leaned down, bringing her lips close to my ear.

"Do you know what you just ate?" she whispered, low enough that only the two of us could hear.

My fingers tightened around the rim of my water glass as a cold dread pooled in my stomach.

She straightened up and raised her voice so it carried across the entire dining room. "It's that little white rabbit from the backyard!"

My heart stopped. My mind went completely blank.

Snowball. The pet rabbit I had raised for three years—the only warm, living thing that had kept me sane during a thousand lonely nights in this freezing house.

I shoved my chair back and stood up so fast the wooden legs screeched against the floor. My voice shook as I stared at her. "What did you just say?"

Brittny immediately put on a terrified face and stumbled two steps back, bumping into Brennan's chair.

"Aria, don't look at me like that..." She pressed a hand to her chest. "I have a severe allergy to animal fur. The doctor said a pregnant woman can't be around pets. I only told the maid to get rid of it! I didn't know the chef would cook it..."

Tears rolled down her cheeks right on cue.

My stomach cramped violently. That piece of meat I had just swallowed felt like a chunk of burning iron in my gut. I clapped a hand over my mouth, shoved the chair aside, and stumbled toward the small washbasin in the corner of the dining room.

I gripped the marble edge of the sink and retched uncontrollably, hot tears spilling from my eyes. Sour bile and undigested food splashed into the basin as my insides twisted in agony.

Behind me, Brennan's impatient voice rang out. "Have you lost your mind? It's just a stupid animal!"

Shaking all over, I turned on the faucet. Cold water washed down the drain, but my chest felt like it was caving in. My knuckles turned white as I braced myself against the marble counter. For three years, I had endured his coldness and the vicious online attacks from hockey fans calling me a gold digger, all while holding Snowball in the dark.

I slowly lifted my head and looked at my pale face and bloodshot eyes in the mirror. Whatever softness or guilt I had left for this family died right there in that sink.

I pulled a paper towel, wiped my mouth hard, and walked back to the table step by step. Brittny was still hiding behind Brennan, watching me like a winner.

I stopped in front of Brennan, my voice raspy and dead calm. "You gave her permission to kill it, didn't you?"

Brennan set his knife and fork down, picked up his linen napkin, and wiped the corner of his mouth. He looked up at me, his pale gray eyes completely cold.