Chapter 199: Sacred Ground

Bloom House Floral had not changed.

That was the first thing Beatrice Whitmore noticed as she stepped across the threshold just after noon, escorted by no staff, no drivers waiting at the curb, no visible emblem of power. The bell above the door chimed softly, the same unassuming sound it had made for decades, and the scent of fresh stems and damp earth wrapped around her with quiet familiarity.

Lillian looked up from the counter.

For a fraction of a second, surprise flickered across her face. Then composure settled in, instinctive and practiced.

“Mrs. Whitmore,” she said evenly. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

Beatrice smiled. Not the public smile. Not the one calibrated for donors and ministers. This one was smaller. Warmer. Almost te