Chapter 192
Chapter 192:
“Divorced?” Sebastian repeated, the word tasting like ash. “At her age p>
“And there were rumors,” Vivian whispered, her eyes wide with fake horror. “Of a pregnancy. A miscarriage. Or… an abortion. No one knows for sure. But the lifestyle… it was filthy, Sebastian p>
Sebastian’s jaw tightened. He looked at the closed door, imagining Aurora on the other side. “We can’t have that here. The Kensington name… the legacy p>
“She only came back because she’s broke,” Vivian added, driving the knife in. “She’s here for the money. She’ll seduce anyone to get it. Even you. Even Elias p>
Sebastian stood up. His face was hard. He valued reputation above all else. He saw himself as the guardian of the gate, and Vivian had just convinced him the barbarian was already inside.
“I won’t let her tarnish us,” Sebastian vowed.
“We must protect the estate,” Vivian said, touching his arm gently. “Just… be careful. She’s manipulative p>
Sebastian nodded grimly. He turned and marched out of the room.
Vivian watched him go. She dried her eyes instantly. She took a sip of her wine, a small, cruel smile playing on her lips.
Back in the ballroom, Aurora felt the shift in energy before she saw it. It was an instinct honed on the streets of the Bronx—the ability to sense aggression before a punch was thrown.
She looked up from her conversation with Harper.
Sebastian was walking toward her. He wasn’t walking like a cousin. He was walking like a bouncer.
He passed her, and as he did, he didn’t swerve. He dropped his shoulder and slammed it into hers.
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It wasn’t a stumble. It was a check. Hard. Deliberate.
Aurora took a half-step back to absorb the impact, her wine sloshing in her glass.
Sebastian didn’t apologize. He leaned in as he passed, his voice a low hiss. “We don’t welcome trash here. Pack your bags p>
He kept walking.
Aurora froze. Her shoulder throbbed. The insult hung in the air, toxic and heavy.
“What was that?” Harper asked, her eyes narrowing. “Did he just hit you p>
“He bumped me,” Aurora corrected, though her voice was cold. She looked across the room. She saw Vivian emerging from the cigar lounge, looking innocent. Looking satisfied.
She got to him, Aurora realized. She poisoned his ear.
“I’m going to kill him,” Harper said, starting to move.
Aurora grabbed Harper’s arm. “No. Don’t make a scene. That’s what she wants. She wants me to look like the drama. Like the problem p>
“So you just take it?” Harper demanded.
“I take it,” Aurora said, her eyes locking onto Sebastian’s retreating back. “And then I return it with interest p>
Across the room, Elias Thorne had seen the shoulder bump. He was standing with a group of investors, but his attention snapped to Aurora the moment Sebastian made contact.