The morning sun was bright, burning through the sheer curtains of the master bedroom. It was 10:00 AM. Constance was lying on her back, staring at the ceiling, letting the warmth soak into her skin. This was her third day of waking up naturally. Her body was still weak, a dull ache radiating from her abdomen, but her mind felt sharper than it had in years.
Downstairs, the heavy chime of the doorbell echoed through the house.
Constance heard Mrs. Foster's muffled voice, followed immediately by the heavy, aggressive thud of boots taking the stairs two at a time.
The bedroom door flew open, slamming against the wall with a violent crack.
Daren Ferguson stormed into the room. His face was flushed red, the veins in his thick neck bulging against his collar.
"Where is she? I know she's here," Daren snarled, his eyes sweeping the room until they locked onto her.
Constance didn't jump. She didn't pull the covers up to hide herself. She slowly swung her legs over the edge of the bed, walked over to her vanity, and sat down. She picked up a silver-backed hairbrush and began running it through her hair.
She looked at him through the mirror. "Knock much?"
Daren crossed the room in three massive strides. He stood right behind her, his chest heaving. "We need to talk. About your real purpose in this family."
Constance kept brushing her hair. The bristles scraped against her scalp in a steady, rhythmic motion. She treated him like a piece of ugly furniture that had been placed in her room by mistake.
The blatant disrespect pushed Daren over the edge. He reached out and snatched the brush right out of her hand.
"I'm talking to you!" he barked, spit flying from his lips.
Constance's hand froze in mid-air. She slowly lowered it to her lap. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. She turned around in the chair and looked up at him. Her eyes were dead, flat, and terrifyingly calm.
"Give that back," she said. Her voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the air like a razor blade.
Daren gripped the brush tighter, his knuckles turning white. He took a step closer, trying to use his physical size to intimidate her. "You're Doretta's spy. She planted you here to keep tabs on Arch. I know it. You've been acting crazy lately because you're planning something."
Constance let out a short, dry laugh. "If I were a spy, Daren, would I be this obvious? Your imagination is running wild."
"Don't play dumb with me!" Daren yelled. "Doretta is our stepmother, and she's been trying to destroy Arch since the day our father dragged him home—the bastard son from a secret first marriage. She had his real mother murdered, and she's never stopped hunting him. Do you seriously expect me to believe she handpicked you as his wife out of the goodness of her heart? She married you off to him so you could report back to her!"
Constance stood up. She was much shorter than Daren, but she didn't step back. She stepped into his space.
"Let go of my comb," she said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
Daren sneered. "Admit it! You report everything back to her!"
"Daren."
The voice came from the doorway. It was quiet, but it hit the room like a physical blow.
Daren flinched. His hand opened on instinct, and the silver hairbrush clattered onto the hardwood floor. He spun around.
Arch stood in the doorway. He was wearing a dark, tailored suit, his posture rigid. His dark eyes swept over Daren, cold and unforgiving.
"Arch, you need to hear this-" Daren started, his voice suddenly frantic, desperate for validation.
"I heard." Arch walked into the room. He didn't look at his brother. He walked straight past Daren and stopped in front of Constance.
Arch looked down at the floor. He slowly bent his knees, picked up the silver hairbrush, and placed it gently on the vanity table. The movement was so careful, so deliberate, it made Daren's jaw drop.
"The feud between you and Doretta—she planted Constance here to spy on you! She's been trying to finish what she started with your mother!" Daren pleaded, pointing a thick finger at Constance.
Constance looked at Arch. "If I were Doretta's spy, I would've played the perfect wife. I wouldn't have rebelled like this."
Arch looked at her. His dark eyes searched her face, analyzing the micro-expressions, looking for the lie. He found nothing but hard, cold truth.
Arch turned his head slightly toward his brother. He raised one hand, palm out. "Enough."
"But Arch—"
"Daren, leave. Now." Arch's voice was absolute. There was no room for negotiation.
Daren's face turned a deeper shade of red. He clenched his fists so hard his arms shook, but he didn't dare defy Arch. He shot Constance a look of pure hatred, turned, and stomped out of the room. His heavy footsteps faded down the hallway.
The room fell into a suffocating silence.
Constance stood by the vanity, waiting. She expected Arch to interrogate her, to demand an explanation for her recent behavior.
Arch just stared at her. His index finger tapped once against his thigh.
"The family dinner is this weekend," Arch said, his voice completely flat. "Doretta expects us to attend."
Constance felt a flare of irritation. She wanted to say no. She wanted to tell him to go to hell. But then, a thought sparked in her mind. A family dinner. All the Fergusons in one room. Doretta, the stepmother who had murdered Arch's mother and tried to destroy him, sitting at the head of the table like a queen.
It would be the perfect stage.
A slow, sweet smile spread across Constance's face. It was a beautiful smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. It was completely detached, chilling in its perfection.
"Fine," she said smoothly.
Arch stared at that smile. His brow furrowed slightly. He turned to leave, but paused in the doorway. He didn't look back.
"Get dressed," Arch said. "We're going out tonight."
