The banquet hall sparkled with crystal chandeliers and the glittering jewelry of Oceanion's elite. I stood by Arthur's side, acutely aware of the stares following us. After the confrontation with the Beaumonts, I'd retreated to lick my wounds.
"Your plan to reconcile me with the Beaumonts was ambitious," Arthur murmured, his breath warm against my ear.
I glanced up at him, surprised he'd figured out my intentions so easily. "I thought business interests might overcome personal grievances."
"Not all wounds heal with money, Elara." His eyes hardened. "Especially those inflicted by a mother who abandons her child."
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. The Beaumont matriarch was Arthur's mother? No wonder he'd been so resistant to my suggestions about partnering with their family.
"I didn't know," I whispered.
"Now you do." His tone was final, shutting down that line of conversation.
