Inwardly, I filed it away.
One more theft.
Dressed in a smile and wrapped with a bow.
The lights dimmed slightly as Veila took the microphone, her sequined dress catching the glow.
She began thanking guests for making the evening truly unforgettable, her words rolling with practiced ease.
I tightened my grip on my clutch.
If they were about to spring their trap, they’d find I was ready to turn it inside out.
Veila’s voice floated from the stage, smooth and bright.
“Before we conclude this wonderful evening, let’s raise a glass to the graduate.”
Servers glided between tables, placing champagne flutes at every setting.
The precision of it all was almost theatrical.
I sat still, my eyes scanning the movement around me.
My parents weren’t mingling now.
They were watching me.
Every time my gaze swept in their direction, they were already looking, their expressions politely fixed for anyone who might notice.
When the server approached our table, I leaned back slightly to give them room.
The glass was set just to my right, the pale gold liquid catching the warm light overhead.
Moments later, Grady appeared beside me, smiling down as though checking that my place was in order.
His hand moved toward my silverware, a casual adjustment.
And in my peripheral vision, I saw it.
Something small, almost invisible, drop into my champagne.
The faintest fizz broke the surface before disappearing.
I didn’t flinch, not a blink.
Hollis’s recording was my insurance, but the rest would be my choice.
I let my fingers rest lightly on the stem of the glass, feeling its chill.
I rose slowly, letting the moment stretch, and glanced towards Sirene’s table.
She was laughing with the couple next to her, head tilted, oblivious to anything beyond her own glow.
I crossed the few steps between us, glass in hand, my voice bright enough to carry to those nearby.
“Oh, I think you got my glass.
Yours is probably warmer.”
Her brows lifted.
“Really?
You’re picky tonight.”
“You know me,” I said with a smile that didn’t touch my eyes.
She laughed lightly, switching glasses without hesitation.
The people around us chuckled, thinking it nothing more than harmless sibling banter.
I returned to my seat, raising the now safe glass just as Veila cued the toast.
My gaze swept the room, Sirene taking a generous sip, Grady’s jaw tightening almost imperceptibly, Noella’s smile locked in place, but empty in her eyes.
The toast carried on, voices lifting in unison, glasses clinking.
Sirene’s laughter joined theirs, but only for a moment.
Then it faltered, her hand coming to rest lightly on the table.
Inside my head, the words were calm, measured.
The clock just started ticking.
Sirene set her glass down, still mid laugh at something the man beside her had said, but the sound cut off as if someone had pulled a plug.
Her smile froze, eyes blinking rapidly.
She shifted in her chair, one hand braced on the table, then started to push herself up.
Her knees didn’t cooperate.
She wobbled, grabbed for the tablecloth, and instead caught the edge of a plate.
Silverware clattered to the floor, a fork spinning across the marble like a coin.
Gasps rippled outward as chairs scraped, and several guests surged to their feet.
Grady was there in an instant, one arm around her back, the other gripping her forearm.
“Sirene, look at me.