CHAPTER 43: GLARING DAGGERS

Selena sat on the couch in the Wenford living room, tablet balanced on one knee, scrolling through a sea of headlines and comment threads about Adrian Hoffman.

She knew Erisia had stopped Tennyson and sent him away, and that she had been pursuing a case. Selena hadn’t paid it much attention—why would she?—and she’d been quietly pleased that, for whatever reason which she hoped would last a long time, Erisia wasn’t coming back to the mansion.

But yesterday, a friend called with news that was too sensitive to ignore.

"It was a planned homicide," her friend had said, voice brimming with the thrill of gossip. "And the one behind it is Adrian Hoffman."

At first, Selena thought it was a bad joke. What could a child of a powerful conglomerate family like the Hoffmans possibly want with Erisia—a country bumpkin?

But her friend hadn’t been joking. "That’s what everyone’s wondering," she went on. "Especially since it’s confirmed Adrian and Erisia never even met. But—" The friend’s tone had shifted, sly and loaded. "Adrian is close to Sierra. Very close."

The way she’d said it left a bitter aftertaste. Selena hadn’t liked it.

So she’d checked for herself.

Now, as the official statements scrolled across her screen—LAPD, NYPD, charges spelled out in cold black letters—Selena clicked her tongue in disbelief. That polite, soft-spoken boy she’d once seen at a party? A mastermind of attempted murder?

Please.

What unsettled her wasn’t the crime itself. Not even the fact that Erisia had nearly died. What rankled was the lines she saw in a few posts and people’s commentary.

She skimmed through another wave of posts, each one worse than the last.

{Adrian Hoffman is a longtime friend of Sierra Wenford, Erisia’s adoptive sister and very public rival.

No motive confirmed, but... draw your own conclusions.}

• Come on, everyone knows Adrian never moves without Sierra in the loop.

• If Sierra’s been seen with him this often, maybe the cops should check her alibi too. Rich kids always cover for each other.

• Funny how the supposed ’rival’ ends up with the guy accused of trying to take Erisia out. What are the odds?

Selena’s fingers tightened on the tablet. Her scowl deepened.

"What the hell does that mean, huh?" she snapped aloud, hurling the tablet onto the cushion beside her. "Draw your own conclusions? Are they implying—what—that Sierra had something to do with this?!"

From the hallway, a pair of heels clicked against the marble floor. Sierra appeared in the doorway, drawn by the sound. Her pale-pink cashmere sweater looked soft and harmless, but her eyes held a wary edge.

"Mother?" Sierra stepped inside, her expression caught between curiosity and dread. "Why are you shouting?"

Selena pivoted, eyes narrowing. "Have you seen the filth people are posting? They’re dragging your name into that boy’s mess."

Sierra froze for a heartbeat, then crossed the room with forced calm. "I saw some of it," she admitted, picking up the tablet and glancing at the screen. "It’s just online noise. People speculate when they don’t know the facts."

"They’re not speculating—they’re accusing," Selena said sharply. "And you—" she held both of Sierra’s shoulders—"you were his friend, weren’t you? Close enough for them to start connecting dots that don’t exist."

Sierra lowered the tablet with deliberate care. "Adrian and I went to a few events together. That’s it. I didn’t plan a crime with him, Mother."

Before Selena could retort, a servant appeared at the archway. "Madam, Mrs. Hoffman and Miss Vivien Hoffman just arrived. They said they are here to see Miss Erisia."

Sierra blinked. "The Hoffmans?"

Selena straightened, her scowl deepening. "Of course they would come looking for that problematic girl."

She rose smoothly from the couch, "Well. Let’s not keep them waiting."

•

Ten minutes ago.

The tires of the Hoffman sedan seemed to glide noiselessly over the pale stone drive as it rolled to a stop. "Ma’am, we’re here."

The driver’s words made Vivien turn to her mother, who still had her eyes closed, resting as she hadn’t allowed herself to since the night Adrian was arrested. It had been two days since then.

Vivien exhaled a quiet sigh and tapped her arm. "Mom, we’re here. Let’s get down."

Harper opened her eyes, sat up, then looked around the Wenford compound before giving a small nod. The mansion stretched across the grounds—high-arched windows gleaming in the early light, marble steps polished to a mirror sheen.

The driver hurried to open the door. Vivien stepped out first, her posture straight despite the fatigue in her eyes, and then helped her mother down. She collected their bag and Harper’s purse as the car door shut with a soft click.

A head maid greeted them with a measured smile and led the way across the sweeping foyer.

In the living room, Selena and Sierra Wenford sat waiting.

Harper slowed as her eyes swept the room. Only two of them? For a house this vast, she’d expected a small welcoming from the family, but from the looks of it, only the mother and daughter were at home.

The Wrenfords had two daughters, and she had a feeling that the one said to be friends with Adrian was the one sitting in front of them.

Harper had to stop herself from grabbing them and demanding to know where Erisia was.

Selena rose, her tailored cream blouse catching the light. Not a flicker of warmth softened her face as she gestured to the sofa across from her and Sierra.

Harper’s gaze lingered on the lavish furnishings—gilded frames, subtle art pieces, and a coffee table that could have paid a semester’s tuition. For an "average" wealthy family, the Wenfords had clearly invested in spectacle.

And while Harper sized up their home, Selena returned the favor. Her eyes swept over mother and daughter with a disdainful stance.

For a woman whose son had been arrested on attempted murder charges, Harper Hoffman was trying very hard to hold up her image. She was dressed in a dark brown cape embellished with a Yves Saint Laurent pin, a white pencil skirt cinched with a brown belt, brown ankle boots with block heels, and carried a crocodile-textured handbag with gold hardware. A rectangular gold wristwatch and classic gold hoops completed the look.

Vivien stood just as adorned in a white strapless A-line dress layered with a cropped brown jacket. Gold floral jewelry traced delicate lines along her neck and wrists, catching the light with every movement. Her beige-and-brown structured handbag and white heels—each accented in gold—added the final touch.

Selena forced the faintest of smiles, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Mrs. Hoffman. Miss Vivien. It’s a pleasure to have you in our home."

Vivien matched her tone with a polite curve of her lips. "Thank you for seeing us on such short notice, Mrs. Wenford."

Harper inclined her head, her voice low but steady. "We appreciate you receiving us."

Selena leaned forward slightly. "To what do we owe the honor? I can only imagine this isn’t a social visit."

Harper’s eyes cooled, the faintest flick of a glance toward Sierra before settling on Selena. "You imagine correctly."

Selena clasped her hands neatly on her lap, her voice honeyed but edged. "I understand you asked for Erisia. Unfortunately, she isn’t here at the moment. Perhaps you can tell me instead what this is about?"

Vivien’s answering smile turned cold. "It concerns Adrian. And we would prefer to speak with Miss Erisia directly."

"I hate to disappoint you, but we also don’t know where Erisia is. She hasn’t come back home since the day of the incident, you see." Selena shrugged, her tone unapologetic.

Vivien’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that, Mrs. Wenford? She’s your daughter, isn’t she? How wouldn’t she have called once, despite not coming home? Or am I mistaken?"

Selena’s lips curved in a smile that didn’t touch her eyes. "You see, Erisia is an adopted daughter. And an adopted daughter can never be the same as a biological one. Things that aren’t yours to begin with can never truly become yours, no matter how hard you try."

A quiet beat followed.

Vivien gave a soft, humorless laugh. "I fail to see how that’s relevant to our conversation, Mrs. Wenford. Everyone knows Erisia isn’t your biological child. Let’s stay on the matter at hand."

Selena crossed her legs, "You’re disappointed because you came to see her, but she isn’t here. That’s all there is to it. Erisia hasn’t called, hasn’t returned. There’s nothing I can do about that. So if that’s all—" She rose. Sierra stood as well, her posture stiff. "—then I believe your business here is finished."

Harper’s brows shot up as she slowly stood. "Are you sending us out of your house, Mrs. Wenford?"

"Yes," Selena said evenly. "You came here for Erisia. She isn’t here. Your purpose is complete."

A sharp, incredulous laugh slipped from Harper’s throat. "Bold of you, Mrs. Wenford." Her eyes slid toward Sierra, turning glacial. "Is this your daughter Sierra? The one who’s said to be friends with Adrian?"

Selena’s chin lifted. "Yes, this is my daughter. But as for her supposed friendship with your son—that is nothing but gossip. My—"

Before Selena could finish, Harper crossed the space in two swift strides. Sierra barely had time to inhale before crack—Harper’s palm struck her cheek. A second blow followed just as fast, the sound echoing through the room.

Selena lunged forward, shoving Harper back with a burst of fury. "You! How dare you lay a hand on my daughter?!"

"She deserved it!" Harper snapped, her voice hoarse with rage.

Vivien caught her mother’s arm, pulling her back before she could strike again. "Mom! Stop—enough!"

Sierra staggered, one hand pressed to her burning cheek, eyes wide with shock. Selena wrapped an arm protectively around her shoulders, glaring daggers at the Hoffmans.

"You come into my home and assault my child?" Selena’s voice cut like a blade. "Do you think your name gives you that right?"

Harper met her stare, unflinching. "Doesn’t everyone know that she hates your adopted daughter?! And she is said to be very close friends with Adrian, I’m sure she must have used the feelings he had for her to manipulate him into helping her kill your adopted daughter! Or why else would my Adrian plan an attack on someone he had never met before? Huh?! Tell me!"