Master of his heart

Chapter 513

Alivia felt the sting of the remark as if she’d been slapped across the face. Her chest heaved with barely contained emotion.

The society ladies who had just been showing off their Italian were now flushed with embarrassment. They had intended to make Brielle the butt of their joke, mocking her with a language they thought she couldn’t understand. To their chagrin, Brielle’s Italian was even more fluent than theirs.

The atmosphere turned awkward; the moment they had spoken, they had become the jesters of the evening.

Brielle wasn’t about to let Alivia off the hook. “Ms. Alivia, don’t you understand Italian?” she asked, her voice tinged with nonchalance.

The question cornered Alivia. Admitting she understood meant she knew the other women were ridiculing her, when she told Brielle they welcomed her. Claiming ignorance would suggest that she was less cultured than Brielle, who had mastered the language. Having presented herself as gracious and friendly towards Brielle all evening, choosing the former would expose Alivia’s duplicity to everyone.

Suppressing the turmoil within, Alivia managed a strained smile. “I really don’t understand. Did they say something unpleasant?” Her gaze swept innocently over the other guests, while the instigators avoided her eyes, shifting uncomfortably.

not out often, and we rarely

looked at Tessa, who was glaring daggers at Brielle. From the moment Tessa had seen Brielle, her mood had plummeted. Her eyes met Alivia’s, and without words,

cue, Tessa rose, her face pale but flushed with excitement at the thought of Brielle’s impending disgrace. Unaware that Alivia had easily manipulated her emotions. Tessa was out of her depth against such cunning.

I’ve been practicing a piece recently, and seeing this piano makes me want to give it a go. Ms. Brielle, you wouldn’t mind accompanying me, would you?”

have honed other skills. She played the piano beautifully and was sure Brielle, an orphaned girl who later joined the Haywood family, couldn’t compare. After all, would the

indeed in a gallery before being brought here

Brielle. “Ms. Brielle, you play, don’t you? Since it’s our

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