Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
EMILIA
I couldn’t stop smiling.
It wasn’t dynasty-polished smiling either. Not the kind they trained into us at etiquette dinners.
Vivienne finally set her glass down, tilted her head.
“Alright. Spill it. You look like you’ve been microdosing joy. Did you sneak something into your mimosa? Because you’re practically high on your own smile.”
Charlotte leaned in with a grin, stabbing her fork through a strawberry. “Forget drugs. She’s clearly overdosing on lip balm. Honestly, Em, that’s the only way dynasty daughters survive brunch. Lip balm and sarcasm.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “It’s not drugs.”
Vivienne arched a brow, lips curving. “Not lip balm either?”
“No.” I bit my lip. “It’s… men.”
Both of them froze. And then grinned like they’d rehearsed it.
“Ohhh.” Vivienne dragged out the word until it was practically a song. “Plural. ”
Charlotte gasped, hand to her chest. “Plural men. Emilia Adams, you scandal.”
“Stop.” I tried to hide my face, which only made them laugh harder.
Vivienne leaned closer. “So which men? Because if I were you, I’d be smiling like that too if Alaric Vale had finally decided to loosen up.”
“God, Viv,” Charlotte groaned, rolling her eyes. “Vale doesn’t loosen. He probably irons his socks.”
I choked on my water, laughing too loud. A few heads turned from the next table, all pretending not to listen while very much listening.
Vivienne flicked her gaze toward them, then back at me with a smirk. “Ignore them. They’d sell their grandmothers for a whisper of gossip.”
Charlotte nudged me under the table. “So if it’s not Vale, then who? You can’t drop men like that and not explain.”
I shook my head. “I’m not explaining.”
Vivienne gasped, eyes going wide, then narrowed like she’d just solved a riddle.
“Oh my God. It’s them, isn’t it? The Crow twins.”
Charlotte’s fork clattered against her plate. “You’re kidding.”
I didn’t answer. Which was as good as confession.
Charlotte covered her mouth, whisper-squealing. “Emilia.”
“Well, that explains the smile.” Vivienne grinned, “And the glow. And the way you just looked down when I said their name.”
Heat ran up my neck. “You two are impossible.”
Charlotte’s grin only widened. “You’re back with the Crows.”
Vivienne clinked her glass against mine before I could protest. “Em wins. ”
“Wins what?”
“Because,” Vivienne leaned in, “Charlotte’s been sneaking around with one brother. I’ve been sneaking around with one brother. And you—” she gestured at me with her glass, eyes bright, “you’ve gone and doubled the score. Two Crows. At once.”
Charlotte covered her face, half-mortified, half-giggling. “Vivienne!”
“Oh, don’t even pretend,” Vivienne shot back. “We’re all keeping secrets. Might as well toast them.”
I shook my head, laughing so hard it hurt. “You’re both terrible.”
“Maybe,” Charlotte said, “but you’re the scandal, Em. Not us.”
Vivienne lifted her glass again. “To dynasty daughters who know better, and do it anyway.”
We clinked. Because happiness was usually short lived in our world. So when you had it, you held on to it for as long as possible.