The hallway outside Adrian's study was colder than the rest of the mansion, a straight spine of marble and silence. Raya stormed through it without looking back, her breath sharp, her pulse a raw drumming under her skin. The door slammed behind her with a heavy thud, the kind that felt final even when nothing was truly finished.
Her heels clicked with angry purpose. She just wanted her room. She just wanted air that wasn't poisoned with accusations she hadn't earned. She just wanted...
"Raya, wait!"
Diana's voice chased her like a soft wind behind a running storm.
Raya didn't slow. She reached her door, hand already curling around the golden handle, when Diana caught her wrist gently.
"Raya… don't be angry," Diana said, her voice breathless but soft, pleading. "It's just... Kaelo… she never lies. Never. That's why everyone reacted the way they did."
Raya turned, eyes cold enough to sting.
