Ivy's pov
Lady Vault clawed desperately at my hands, her fingers digging painfully into my wrists as she struggled to breathe, but I refused to let go. Months of fear, humiliation, confusion, helplessness, and grief had finally exploded inside me all at once, and for the first time since arriving at this cursed mansion, I no longer cared who stood before me. Her eyes widened more and more with every passing second while panic slowly replaced the arrogance she always wore around me like armor.
"Get her off me!" she choked out weakly, her voice cracking with desperation.
But none of the guards moved.
Not one.
I could see the hesitation clearly written across their faces as their eyes shifted nervously between themselves, waiting for permission that never came. Because Nicholas was not there. He had already been carried inside, weak from blood loss, and without his direct command, none of them dared lay a finger on me.
