Page 32 of Star Crossed Delta

SABA

A t the Selse reception, Aveline and Saba emerged from the alcove as the night unfolded, and the celebration continued with dancing, food, and endless trays of celebratory champagne.

Hearsay swirled around about the disappearance of Shiloh.

The source and bearers of the scorching-hot rumors had to be Zsófia, Saba’s aunt and uncle, judging by their expressions of malice as they followed her trajectory through the room.

They whispered behind fans and hands, imagining them sharing vitriol about Shiloh’s absence and Saba’s part in it.

They painted her twin’s flight in shades of betrayal and defiance.

Zsófia, in particular, had a penchant for weaving tangled webs of half-truths that ignited a vortex of speculation and judgment.

Despite the accusatory glances hurled at Saba from every corner, she maintained a stoic facade, refusing to reveal the truth of Shiloh’s escape.

Her uncle’s fury, however, knew no bounds.

He hounded her, demanding to know where she’d fled to.

Saba ignored him and asked Koda to remove him from the banquet table so she would not betray her sister’s trust.

‘No amount of harassment will work, uncle,’ Saba told him as Koda marched him away.

From afar, his rage blazed like wildfire, his hot, scalding eyes and twisted lips of derision cutting deep.

Saba huffed as he made not-so-surreptitious remarks about her to his friends.

Each word was a barb aimed at piercing the armor of loyalty she had donned to shield Shiloh from the consequences of her actions.

With Aveline by her side and Mak’s strongmen at her back, she remained steadfast, her resolve unyielding in the face of his wrath.

Still, her secrets hung heavy in the air, suffocating her with the knowledge of what she had done to protect her sister.

She left the event at eleven, kissing Aveline’s cheeks before escaping into the night and her waiting flyer with Koda at the wheel.

Saba returned to the lodge, which was dark and shrouded in shadows.

Mak was nowhere to be seen, the shadowy halls devoid of his commanding presence. The mansion felt cavernous, echoing with the silence of the night that filled its opulent chambers.

She made her way through the lamp-lit corridors.

Umbras seemed to reach out to her with ghostly fingers as she ascended the grand staircase to their private chambers.

The bedroom door creaked with a mournful sigh, revealing the room bathed in darkness save for the sliver of moonlight filtering through the parted curtains.

Saba shed her gown, letting it pool at her feet in a cascade of silk. As she slipped beneath the covers, the bed’s emptiness enveloped her in a cold embrace, mirroring the hollow, aching void that now resided within her heart.

Sleep eluded her, her mind consumed by thoughts of Mak, Shiloh, and her miserable reality.

The hours passed in agonizing slowness, each minute stretching into eternity as she tossed and turned in the darkness, grappling with the guilt that gnawed at her conscience.

She was half asleep when dawn broke on the horizon.

It cast a pale light into the room, painting everything in shades of gray.

She rose from the bed, exhaustion dragging at her limbs as she made her way to the terrace overlooking the sprawling grounds of their estate.

The gardens lay shrouded in a ground-hugging fog, the dew-kissed flowers blooming in silent defiance of the turmoil that had beset her world.

In the distance, a figure rose out of the mist-covered lake.

Their silhouette was a dark smudge against the golden hues of sunrise.

Mak.

Her heart clenched when she spotted him striding to a towel on the beach and toweling off in the early morning light.

For a moment, she hesitated, unsure whether to approach him.

However, a deeper instinct pushed her forward, compelling her to bridge the distance that separated them.

She left her room, shrouded in a robe, and cautiously descended the staircase.

The cool marble floor chilled her bare feet as she approached the open doorway leading to the garden.

As she stepped outside, the crisp morning air embraced her, carrying the musky scent of damp soil and blooming flowers.

It took a few minutes to get to where he was.

At the sound of her footsteps, Mak turned to face her, his expression unreadable as his gaze met hers.

Arced emotion crackled between them.

‘You’re up early,’ he murmured, his voice rough and rasped. ‘Or did you stay up late?’

‘I couldn’t sleep,’ she replied, her words hanging as she avoided gazing at the water streaking down his muscled chest from his still-wet hair. ‘You?’

He huffed under his breath. ‘Seems we are both afflicted with insomnia. I chose a swim to try and tire myself out.’

She stared at him, noting the battle-worn lines on his face with concern. ‘Everything OK?’

‘As it ever will be when you’re trying to keep this shit together and remain ahead of any possible threats to the Signet company and our small family,’ he continued. ‘How was the Selse event?’

‘Eventful,’ she sighed. ‘I survived it.’

He clicked his teeth and glanced away. ‘On that note, will you ever tell me where Shiloh went?’

Saba jolted. It’s the question she’d dreaded for days, the one everyone was asking.

She vacillated. Did she dare tell him the truth and gain his trust, or avoid it and risk his wrath?

She took the more arduous road. Better now than never.

‘Shiloh made poor choices, which would have embarrassed you as ?ar . She became entangled in her feelings for a man. She’s now with him. She was adamant she couldn’t marry you when she loved another.’

Mak’s eyes flickered, and he tilted a brow in surprise.

Her shoulders tensed as he processed the truth she’d laid bare.

‘Why didn’t you tell me earlier?’

His timbre was soft, tinged with hurt and betrayal as he moved closer, bridging the gap between them. ‘Why Saba?’

She sucked in a shaky inhale. ‘I was torn, Mak. Amid loyalty to you and protecting my sister. I should have confided in you, but the fear of what could happen to Shiloh clouded my judgment.’

She met his gaze, willing him to see the turmoil within her.

‘Who is he?’ Mak ground out.

Her breath hitched as she searched for how to tell him that one of his worst foes had snatched his bride-to-be from him.

Panic rose in her heart, knowing he’d be incandescent with rage at the revelation.

Still, she owed him some veracity. But just as she was about to reveal the name, he growled and cursed under his breath.

Like whiplash, his mood changed and darkened, his body locking up, and his eyes storming.

‘You can’t even respect me with the truth, can you?’ he snarled.

‘Mak, I was about -’

He cut her off. ‘Your family is the spawn of the devil,’ he growled. ‘If it weren’t for the deal I fokkin ’ made with your Uncle to guarantee the Sauvage family’s concerns are protected from the Syndicate’s machinations, I’d rip your throat apart.’

With that, he turned on his heel and strode away.

She gave a slight moan, his words crushing as her anxiety ratcheted once more.

He disappeared into the shadows of the lodge, his figure growing smaller until he vanished from sight.

A hollow ache filled Saba’s chest as she realized the unfathomable depth of the rift that separated them. It was a gaping wound that might never heal.

Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

She stood in the garden for a long time, alone and adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

Grappling with the consequences of her actions and the shattered fragments of her sorry-ass future.

The sun rose higher in the Sombra’s faux sky, casting its golden light over the lake like a benediction.

But its rays did not bring warmth, blessing, or peace; they were only a cold reminder of all that had been lost.