All eyes shifted toward the Luceron family, their bodies stiffening under the collective weight of the court's scrutiny. For Matthias and Leon, the Duke's words were a devastating confirmation of their darkest fears.
Matthias turned his head slightly toward Olivia, his voice a low, jagged tremor of betrayal. "You knew?! All this time, you knew?"
"This is not the time for accusations," Olivia hissed back, her eyes fixed forward, cold and unwavering. "Keep your nerves steady."
Just as the tension reached a breaking point, the massive oak doors creaked open once more. Eloise entered.
She was a vision of fragile majesty. Wrapped in cascading silk, her hand rested firmly upon an ivory cane, each step measured and heavy with a regal grace.
Though the pallor of illness still clung to her features, her nobility radiated from her like a flame that refused to be extinguished.
