Chapter 77 - Ayra's Fears 

Ayra's mind wandered back to the stories she'd heard before. Heck, they were no stories - they were real history that any random Joe in the city had heard more than once or twice.

Generally, the stories were mostly the same, only the names different. They were about the wives of the Directors of Orrery Consortium — the powerful men who ran the city’s corporate families like kingdoms.

Generally speaking, no Director's spouse had lived fulfilling lives. Or just good lives in general.

Four in particular stood out poignantly in Ayra's memory. Each man was Lucian's predecessor family-wise, each had lost his wife, and in each tale, tragedy seemed to nest not just in fate but in the very men who had married them.

The first was Director Harold Cyrus, a calculating man with cold blue eyes. His wife, Catherine Cyrus, had once been the darling of society: elegant, warm, and endlessly philanthropic.

It was said that Catherine had funded orphanages, hosted artistic salons, and had a laugh that