Chapter 198

Cassandra’s smile deepened, her manicured fingers brushing the edge of her champagne flute as she diffused the tension hanging in the air. The atmosphere had turned heavy sharp with judgment, thick with whispered gossip but Cassandra’s calm, graceful poise didn’t waver. “It’s curious, Lady Jessica,” she said smoothly, voice laced with effortless confidence, “how quick you are to raise your voice when I speak the truth, yet when it comes to spreading slander or twisting facts, you seem perfectly at ease. I suppose double standards are still fashionable in certain circles.”