Page 90 of Reign

The slap was so unexpected that at first Daphne didn’t process what had happened: that her mother had pulled back her hand and struck her across the face.

Her cheek burned. Tears sprang to her eyes, not so much from the pain, but from shock. Her mother certainly was a believer in tough love, but she had neverhitDaphne before.

Rebecca sucked in a breath, seeming almost remorseful. “I didn’t mean to—it’s just—Daphne, you can’t speak about your father like that. He has sacrificed so much to get you where you are. Didn’t you see those displays downstairs? Do you not understand what’s at stake?” Her voice was quiet but fierce. “This family has given up everything to get you that ring. Don’t you dare ruin things now. You have come too far to slip up at the finish line.”

“You’re right, I am at the finish line.” Anger pulsed through Daphne. “Which is why I don’t need abruiseon my wedding day.”

Her mother’s eyes darted to the mark on Daphne’s cheek. “That will heal. Whatever is going on, promise me you’ll put a stop to it.Now.”

There was a dead silence in the room.

Daphne turned toward the door. “I’m going to clean this up.”

The ladies’ room was at the other end of a hallway. Inside, Daphne ran a few paper towels under cool water, then held them to her cheek. The mark on her face already lookednormal, and Daphne felt irrationally angered by this, as if her body was betraying her by healing so quickly. She swiped some concealer over it and started back with a sigh. It hadn’t escaped her notice that her mother wasn’t able to sayI’m sorry.

As she passed a row of empty fitting rooms, Daphne drew to a halt. An all-too-familiar figure stood behind an open door, studying her one-shouldered sequined dress.

Their eyes met in the mirror, and before Daphne could think twice, she took a step forward. “Nina. I’m glad I ran into you.”

Jeff had told her that Nina was with Prince James now.It’s weird, right?he’d demanded, and Daphne had nodded in fervent agreement, uneasy that Jeff was still keeping tabs on Nina.

Whatever game Nina thought she was playing, she was playing it too well for Daphne’s comfort.

“Daphne. Um, it’s been a while,” Nina said awkwardly.

Daphne felt suddenly desperate to bring things to a head. “You can tell your friend Gabriella to stop threatening me.”

“What?” Nina asked, bewildered. “Gabriella is definitely not my friend.”

“Quit with the act, okay? I know you sold me out to Gabriella so that you could get your financial aid reinstated and have Jefferson to yourself!”

The shock on Nina’s face was so immediate and intense that Daphne felt a prickle of surprise.

“First of all, my financial aid had nothing to do with Gabriella. As for Jeff”—Nina looked pointedly at Daphne—“seems likeyou’rethe one who has him to yourself.”

“But you’ve been trying to break us up!”

Nina sighed wearily. “Do you accuse everyone of that, or just me?”

“Just you. Who else has the motive or the ability? Not that you could pull it off,” Daphne added quickly. “But you could do some damage trying.”

“If I did any damage, it would be because I’ve learned from your example.”

Oddly, that made Daphne want to laugh.

What had Ethan said all those weeks ago, when she first told him that Nina had betrayed her?It just doesn’t sound like Nina.

Daphne thought back to that night at the League of Kings banquet, trying to remember why she’d been so convinced that Nina had double-crossed her. Nina’s financial aid had been reinstated, and then Nina had kissed Jefferson in the gardens…. What if it hadn’t been part of a devious master plan at all?

Maybe the kiss was nothing more than that: a kiss.

Maybe Daphne had seen antagonism where there wasn’t any, because she had grown up with knives in her hands, in a family that was constantly at war with everyone else, and especially with itself.

Daphne was suddenly exhausted from fighting. The thought of laying down her weapons didn’t seem so unreasonable anymore.

She nodded at Nina’s dress. “I hope you’re not planning on wearing that to the wedding. I know it’s New Year’s Eve, but surely someone told you, sequins arenotappropriate at a state function.”

A wary mistrust flickered over Nina’s face. “Daphne, you and I both know I’m not coming to your wedding.”