Mauve’s eyes narrowed at Emilia, her lips pressed into a hard line as. Emilia knew what she’d seen, knew Mauve was hiding something. Mauve’s smile twisted into a sneer, and she let out an exaggerated scoff.

"How dare you accuse me of this?” Mauve’s voice shook with a fury that was all too practiced. “First, you barge in here like a madwoman, then you throw accusations at me without a shred of proof. Who do you think you are, Emilia?” Her voice grew louder, echoing off the walls. She threw up her hands in mock exasperation. “Do you think this is a game?”

But Emilia didn’t flinch. She watched Mauve...