Aliana's gaze drifted toward the others who had quietly filed into the chamber, several of whom had not been in the room earlier. Something in her gut warned her not to speak of her abilities in front of an audience, so she offered a calm deflection. "Nothing. I was only curious."
Jade, who was already fully aware of Aliana's secret, kept her mouth shut. She was having just as difficult a time processing the overwhelming truth behind everything.
Eventually, Jade shifted her gaze toward her own parents, her posture stiffening as she finally found her voice. "I understand why the Vanderbilts felt they had no choice but to continue on this path. But what about you?"
Jade asked because the others present were either close friends or distant relatives who were not bound to the exact same pact as Alester and Portia.
Alec, still visibly angry with Jade, replied sharply. "Even if we are not bound to that specific pact, we made our choices to secure our livelihood."
