The news pierced Isabella's heart like a physical blow. "Viktor is in Coleridge?" Isabella's quivered her voice trembling between shock and a rising tide of worry. She clutched Gabriel's arm, her knuckles turning white, immediately after Gabriel whispered the news into her ear.
Across the room, Celeste's expression mirrored the turmoil within. Her response was laden with pain and resignation. "Yes, Mother, my father is here. And he hates me."
"Don't say that, my daughter," Isabella interjected, her tone laced with a mother's protective instinct. "You don't know what he is thinking. Your father loves you too much to suddenly hate you just because you're a vampire."
