The echo of Helena's declaration still vibrated in the silent dining room.
"That was just an appetizer... We have much better courses prepared for the main event."
And Alex's low, hungry response... "I am very eager to taste the main course" ...sealed the dismissal.
Vivienne stood frozen where she was, still positioned beside Alex's chair, the wine bottle forgotten on the table. The shock of Helena's dismissal hit her harder than the lingering sexual frustration.
Helena had done it. With a few well-placed words, her cousin had taken Vivienne's brazen act of dominance and turned it into a mere amenity. A warm-up act.
Vivienne was no longer the rival; she was the trophy.
A slow, twisted smile tugged at the corner of Vivienne's lips.
'Well done, Helena,' she thought, a flicker of genuine, twisted pride warring with her jealousy. 'You actually turned the tables.'
