"Luna… can you excuse us?"
Eloise never looked away from Rodrigo.
Nina glanced between them before giving a small nod. She squeezed Rodrigo's hand, her smile gentle, and then she walked out of the room. She clicked the heavy wood door shut behind her—but she did not leave. Pressing her back against the cold stone wall, she held her breath and listened.
Inside the room, a heavy silence lingered.
Rodrigo's brows creased faintly, his eyes fixed coldly on his grandmother. "I'm listening."
Eloise inhaled slowly. For a moment, she said nothing. Instead, she looked around the room, as though searching for the courage she had buried years ago.
"When you were a child…" Her voice was quieter now, fragile. "I promised your father I would protect you. I've kept that promise in every way, except the one that mattered most." Eloise lowered her head, the weight of a decade pressing down on her shoulders. "I have carried this burden every single day for fifteen years."
