The wind whispered through the trees outside the Emerald estate as I paced near the wide bay window of the sitting room. Though I had returned to safety with Gannon and Nova, my heart still carried the weight of doubt like an anchor. The memory of Aunt Lucinda’s deception haunted my mind, lingering like a fog I couldn’t shake.

Nova sat cross-legged on the couch, watching me silently. "You're thinking about Lucinda again," she said softly.

I turned to face her. "I can't help it. Everything she said, everything she did, it all felt calculated."

"It was," Nova said. "She never cared for you, Elean. You were a pawn. But...