Chapter 21 Twisted Bliss

• I retreated to my room, ready to close the door, but someone stopped it from shutting completely. Turning, I found Antonia blocking my exit. She walked in casually and remarked, “Oh my, Elena, what happened to your nose?”
• Disgust surged within me at her feigned concern. "Stop with this foolish pretence of yours," I snapped, my irritation clear.
• Antonia, instead of taking offense, laughed as if I had cracked a joke. "Poor, naive Elena... She really thought I had changed because I apologized to her." She circled around me, a predator reveling in my vulnerability, and daringly touched my cheek.