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Chapter 12: Thorns in Velvet

Author: Emel Emerald
last update Huling Na-update: 2025-04-18 16:20:19

The bedroom door slammed shut behind Leya with a cold, unforgiving clang.

She leaned back against the hallway her chest thudding in her ears. Her father was in jail. Her life had been bought. Samuel's lies went deeper than she'd known—and Harrison knew them. Not all of them, perhaps, but enough to send him to prison.

And now there was another.

Someone Samuel had feared.

A woman who might very well still be within, even.

She hadn't let her fury get the upper hand on her, though. Not yet. She insisted on answers—and her mother was going to provide them to her.

But as she spun, turning to ascend the stairs, the stile slid back down the marble behind her. Leya didn't need to turn. She already knew.

Eleanor.

Particularly, for that so-smooth voice that was finer than had ever uttered. "Entertaining," the voice declared, "when something is amiss in this house, I catch you hanging around."

Leya turned on purpose. Eleanor stood like a statue sculpted out of poison and ice. Everything about her
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