Page 24 of Emylia

Slowly, deliberately, he pulled his arm free, as if one more second of contact would make him physically ill.

“Playing hard to get?” she purred, trying to recover, tilting her head like she hadn’t just beendismissed.

My eyes darted between them, sickened by how comfortable she was trying to make herself in his personal space.

Who was I kidding?

Josephine was a straight-up slut. I was surprised she hadn’t already ripped her bodice open for him. She always was sniffing around Sebastian, trying to appeal to his baser instincts.

Maalikai didn’t dignify her with a response.

He didn’t even look at her.

Didn’t acknowledge her.

And somehow the silence was louder than any insult. The power of saying nothing at all was deafening.

And Gods, was it brutal.

My eyes snapped between them. Disbelief charging the air. The shadow that fell across Josephine’s eyes was sickening, realisation leaving its mark on her.

All because she didn’t have him.

Not even close. And she knew it.

I almost felt bad for her.

Almost.

I died a little inside from secondhand embarrassment.

“Well this is beyond mortifying.” The words left me before I had a chance to cage them.

Josephine’s eyes flared, her rejection unraveling into something wild.

She whipped toward me, vengeance burning in her gaze. “Honestly? I thought we’d be spared your presence this year. You know, with your dad being dead and all. But I guess I’m just not that lucky.”

Molten lava filed my stomach, a wrath so perverse and all-consuming, liquifying my insides. I was at risk of dismembering her right there.

“And you’re still bitch. So yeah—guess we’re both disappointed.”

I should’ve watched my mouth. I knew I should’ve. But she set the pyre, then sparked the flame—I just unapologetically fanned the flames just to watch it blaze.

Josephine’s words seethed in my mind. I didn’t think she could be capable of being so cold-blooded and heartless, I didn’t think even she would be capable of bringing my dead father into our vendetta.

But, I shouldn’t have been surprised; cold-hearted bitch was right in her repertoire. I’d always known she liked to play dirty. But if she wanted a fight, I’d give her a fight.

Squaring up, I took a step forward. Before I had a chance to say something I’d actually regret, a low voice cut clean through the tension.

“That’s enough.”

Maalikai didn’t raise his voice.

He didn’t need to.

He commanded an air of danger, like someone used to being obeyed without question.

Fair enough, he had that whole broody, alpha thing going for him. Undeniably sexy, dominating, even magnetic—like he owned the room just by existing.

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