Chapter 291
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Chapter 291
ris
The morning of the gala is chaotic to say the least. Miles refuses to eat his breakfast, insisting that he’s not hungry, then immediately complains that he’s starving the inoment Arthur and finish our own meals. Arthur has a last–minute meeting that he can’t reschedule, so I’m on my own to take Miles to school and hen get myself to my parents‘ house to prepare for tonight. “Are you sure you’ll be there on time?” I ask Arthur as I rush around gathering Miles‘ lunch box and my own bag.
Arthur nods, adjusting his tie. “I promise. The meeting will be over by three, and the gala doesn’t start until seven. Plenty of time.”
I give him a skeptical look. “You need to be there by six for photos remember? And it’s all the way across town.”
“I’ll be there,” he insists, leaning down to press a quick kiss to my lips. His hand cups my cheek. “Go. Get ready. And if I find out you’ve been running around worrying yourself ragged all day, I’ll throttle you.”
I smirk. “Is that a threat or a promise?”
A low growl rumbles in Arthur’s chest as his thumb brushes across the hollow of my throat. Grinning impishly, I swat his hand away and hurry out the door.
After dropping Miles at school–he won’t be attending the gala, as it’s a strictly adult affair, and Arthur and I don’t want to involve him in things like this until he’s older–I drive to my parents‘ house.
My mother insisted I get ready there. She says it’s just easier to do everything in my large suite, but really, I think she just wants to get ready together. Not that I’m complaining, of course; I’ve always wanted a mother to do such things with.
Once I arrive, I let myself in with the key my parents gave me, calling out as I enter. “Hello? Mom? Dad? Caleb?”
There’s no response, although a housekeeper tells me my mother is in the solarium having tea. I drop my bag on the hallway table by the stairs and head that way.
Just as I’m rounding the corner to the solarium, I bump into none other than Nora. Just as always, her eyes go wide as saucers when she sees me.
“Oh! Nora,” I say, offering a small smile even though at this point, the sight of her makes me a little nervous. “It’s nice to see you.”
“Mrs. Willford is in the solarium,” she says curtly.
My chest tightens at her tone, but I nod. “Thank you,” I say, turning to go.
“Your dress for the gala arrived this morning,” Nora adds. “I hung it in your old room.”
“Oh. Thank you, Nora. That’s very kind of you.”
—
She nods and turns to leave. Just then, the sun hits her eyes through the large corridor windows, and I notice something. Her eyes–deep–set, almond–shaped, slightly tilted at the outer corners, and a distinctive silvery gray.
For a moment, I swear they look just like Selina’s eyes.
My breath catches in my throat. How have I never noticed this before? I’ve seen Nora several times not since reuniting with my biological parents, but I’ve never made the connection until now.
Before I can say anything, Nora abruptly turns away, averting her eyes. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to finish.”
She hurries past me, keeping her face angled away, almost as if she realized I was studying her eyes and doesn’t want me to look too closely.
I stand there for a moment, puzzled by the interaction. Could it be just a coincidence that Nora and Selina have similar eyes? It must be. Plenty of people have gray eyes. It doesn’t mean anything
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Chapter 291
Yet something about the way she rushed off makes me uneasy.
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I shake off the feeling and make my way to the solarium at the back of the house. The glass–walled room overlooks the gardens, filled with light and the scent of the flowering plants my mother tends so carefully.
I find her there, arranging a vase of fresh–cut roses on a small table while a teapot steams beside her. She looks up when I enter, and her face brightens the moment she sees nie.
“Iris! There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you’d changed your mind about getting ready here.”
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