Jay, who had been quietly observing from nearby, leaned closer, resting a protective hand on her back.
"Liv… breathe," he said softly. "I know it's hard, but we can't change what's done. We can only honor her, and make sure her story… her pain… doesn't go unnoticed."
Liv nodded slowly, tears threatening to spill, but the raw emotion remained, a storm barely contained. Her mind kept circling back to Isabel, to Andrey, and to all the tangled threads of vengeance and betrayal that had haunted their lives.
Even in the safety of the breakfast room, surrounded by family, Liv felt the weight of loss pressing down like a shadow she couldn't escape.
"Isabel… gone," she murmured, voice breaking, eyes staring blankly at the paper.
And in that moment, the morning sun, the smiles around her, even the warmth of the Grand Duchess's hand, all of it felt distant, as if the world had abruptly shifted into a colder, harsher place.
