The Monster at My Feet novel Chapter 15

The day of the banquet arrived.

When the young girl walked downstairs in her dress, a flash of pure venom crossed Helena's face.

Last night, Helena had been plagued by recurring nightmares of Quinn Vance's grotesque, mangled face. The sheer terror had caused heart palpitations, yet she had been entirely paralyzed, unable to wake up. In the hazy space between sleep and consciousness, she had even lost control, dropping to her knees and frantically begging, screaming "I'm sorry!" and "Leave me alone!" like a lunatic.

This morning, it took layers of thick concealer to barely cover her dark circles and the bruised skin on her forehead. Now, seeing a face so identical to Quinn's, a sharp, pulsing pain shot through her temples. She wanted to lunge forward and rip the girl's face off.

Lawrence looked equally terrible. The exhaustion and irritability in his eyes were impossible to hide. There was a faint red mark on his cheek, almost like he had slapped himself, suggesting his own nightmares had been chaotic and violent.

Sylvie lowered her head, biting her lip to keep her expression perfectly neutral.

"This is the last time you will ever wear that dress," Helena sneered. She wanted to see Sylvie look devastated and shocked.

And Sylvie delivered exactly what was expected. The girl looked up in confusion, her voice laced with hurt as she asked why.

Helena scoffed. "Do you really need me to spell it out? I don't know what shady backdoor deals you made to get your hands on it, but look in the mirror—you don't deserve it. If tonight wasn't filled with important guests, and if I wasn't terrified of you humiliating our family, do you really think you'd have the right to wear something like this?"

Right on cue, tears welled up in Sylvie's eyes.

"That's enough," Lawrence interrupted, rubbing his temples. "Helena, drop it." He turned his severe gaze to Sylvie. "Watch yourself tonight. Smile when you meet people, remember your place, and do not embarrass me."

Sylvie offered a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk, but stayed silent.

The chauffeur was waiting outside.

Lawrence got into the car first. Sylvie followed, keeping her eyes fixed on Helena's back, counting her steps.

When she reached four, she suddenly leaned in, pressing herself close to Helena, and whispered into her ear like a ghost: "Helena... my mother told me last night that she wanted to pay you a visit."

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