Esme's hands trembled with a mixture of anger and anxiety as Julian's words sliced through her defenses like a dagger. She couldn't bear to hear him speak ill of Silas, the man who had become the center of her world.
"Don't you dare speak about him like that!" she shot back. "You have no right to say anything about him."
"Esme, for God's sake; once… Listen to me once, not as your fiancé, but as your childhood friend. I still care about you deeply, just like I always have."
"Hah…" Esme let out a humorless chuckle, the sound devoid of mirth. "Really?" she scoffed.
"Do you have any idea how powerful the Sullivans are?" Julian asked sharply. "They have political connections that reach far and wide. We, Esme, are like dust to them. You can never truly belong to their world; the Sullivans will never accept you as a part of their family."
