Page 56 of Shattered Oath
Priya snorted. "He didn't."
"He absolutely did. I told him if he woke me up again before six AM, I was calling off the wedding." Aria caught my eye in the mirror. "I wasn't serious. Mostly."
I laughed. "That definitely sounds like my brother."
"The worst part is, he's usually right. His instincts are annoyingly good." She sighed dramatically. "I can't even be mad at him because he keeps solving problems I didn't know we had."
"That's Sebastian. Solving problems no one asked him to solve since he was born."
"Exactly." She smiled, soft now. "I love him, anyway."
The fitting wrapped up around four. I packed my tools while Aria changed back into her regular clothes.
"We’re having dinner tonight," she said, emerging in jeans and a cashmere sweater. "Everyone's coming. Sebastian, Xavier, Kim, your mother and grandmother. You have to be there."
I nodded. There was always a gathering of sorts whenever I was in town. I didn’t expect this time to be any different. "Of course."
"Good." She paused. "Femi was invited too. I'm not sure if he'll come."
My stomach tightened. "I see."
"You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to. But I wanted you to know he might be there."
"I appreciate the warning."
She hugged me goodbye, and I headed back to my apartment to change.
The restaurant was one of those upscale places that didn't need a sign. Dark wood, candlelight, the kind of hushed atmosphere that made everyone speak in lower voices.
I was fashionably late. Intentionally so.
The hostess led me to the private room in the back. I heard the laughter before I saw them—Xavier's unmistakable bark, Kim's warm chuckle, Sebastian's quieter rumble underneath.
And then I was at the table, and everyone was looking up, and there was only one empty seat.
Between Femi and Xavier.
Of course.
Femi stood as I approached, pulling out my chair. The gesture was smooth, practiced. Gentlemanly.
"Isabelle." His voice was warm. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you."
I sat. He pushed my chair in, his fingers brushing my shoulder. Deliberate. Intentional.
Xavier caught my eye from my other side and raised an eyebrow slightly. I gave him a look that saiddon't start.
Dinner unfolded around me. The appetizers arrived. Wine was poured. Conversation flowed—wedding plans, hotel business, Kim's latest project, Evie's school drama. My mother asked about Milan. My grandmother critiqued the restaurant's wine selection. Normal things. Family things.
But I couldn't focus.
Femi was too close. His arm kept brushing mine when he reached for his glass. His thigh pressed against mine under the table, warm through the fabric of my dress.
"Salt?" He held out the shaker before I'd even reached for it.
"Thank you."
