"God, acting all chummy with you is so annoying," Cecilia muttered, walking briskly away from the table, her crimson eyes flashing as she shot Rachel a sidelong glance.
Rachel sighed, long and loud, as though the weight of the world—and perhaps Cecilia—rested squarely on her shoulders. "Haa, give me a break. I already had to deal with you being a nuisance during the mission, and now you're dragging Arthur into this too."
Cecilia's lips curled into a sharp smirk. "Oh, you mean your precious Arthur?"
Rachel's eyes narrowed, but her voice was steady, like someone clinging to the last thread of patience. "Yes, he's precious to me. So stay away from him."
The venom in her tone might have unnerved a lesser opponent, but Cecilia didn't so much as flinch. If anything, the challenge in Rachel's glare seemed to amuse her. "Oh, precious to you, is he?" she said, her voice dripping with mockery. "Precious because you want to sleep with him, maybe?"
