CHAPTER 39: DANGEROUS WHISPERS

Leo’s POV

​I waited in the shadowed alcove of the east wing until the grand carriage pulled away.

​I watched through the high stained-glass window as Lucian and my father departed the grounds for their afternoon meeting with the regional trade council. As soon as the iron gates clicked shut behind them, I moved. My heart hammered against my ribs with a frantic, unyielding rhythm, every nerve in my body screaming at me to walk away before I made a catastrophic mistake.

​I ignored the warning voice in my head. I couldn't stop now.

​I slipped down the long, carpeted corridor toward Eva’s private chambers, pausing outside her heavy oak door. I drew a deep, steadying breath, trying to calm the raw panic in my chest, and knocked gently.

​"Come in," her soft, melodic voice called out from inside.

​I turned the brass handle and pushed the door open, stepping into the sunlit room.

​The breath caught entirely in my throat.

​Eva was standing near the large window, turning to face me. For weeks, I had only ever seen her locked inside that stark, suffocating maid’s uniform—plain dark fabric, stiff white aprons, and pulled-back hair that hid her beauty behind the cold walls of servitude.

​Now, she stood before me in a soft, lilac-tinted silk day dress that flowed gracefully around her ankles. Her long, dark hair fell in gentle waves over her shoulders, framing her pale face and the faint, white bandage still resting high on her forehead. She looked so breathtakingly radiant, so delicate, yet so completely unfamiliar in the opulence of noble silk.

​I stood frozen in the doorway, unable to tear my eyes away from her.

​Eva blinked, her wide, innocent eyes searching my face as a flicker of confusion crossed her features. She smoothed the front of her gown with hands that trembled slightly, lowering her head with a shy, uncertain smile.

​"Lord Leo," she whispered softly, her voice laced with quiet hesitation as she took a small step back. "I... I did not expect to see you here."

"Forgive me," I stammered, stepping into the room and closing the door softly behind me. "I... I just needed to speak with you about something."

​Eva’s tension melted slightly into a polite, gentle smile. "Oh. Of course, Lord Leo."

​I walked over to the small tea table by the window, pulling out a plush velvet armchair for her. She looked up, surprised by the gesture, and offered a soft, grateful smile before smoothing her silk skirts and sitting down. I pulled up the opposite chair and sat across from her, my heart beating a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

​Reaching into my jacket, I pulled out a worn, leather-bound volume with faded gold lettering on the spine and placed it on the table between us.

​"Do you... do you remember reading this?" I asked softly, watching her face intently.

​Eva leaned forward, her dark eyes scanning the cover. She reached out, her delicate fingers brushing against the aged leather, her brow furrowing in deep concentration. "No... but it does look very familiar. The cover, I mean."

​A faint, bittersweet smile touched my lips. "I caught you reading this exact book in the kitchen late one night, long after the rest of the house had gone to sleep. You were hiding behind a stack of silver platters, lost in the pages. That night was... well, it was the beginning of our friendship."

​Eva’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Really? I did not know we were close."

​"We were," I said, my voice dropping into a tender, resolute whisper. "We were very close, Eva. And I am here because I want to help you get your memory back."

​A soft sigh escaped her lips, her gaze flickering down to her lap. "Oh, thank you, Lord Leo. I have spoken to Lucian about it, but every time I bring up trying to remember, he seems to shut it down. He tells me it is better not to stress myself... as if he does not really want me to try."

​Hearing her confirm Lucian's manipulation sent a spike of cold fury through my blood, but I kept my face calm for her sake.

​"I think what we must do is retrace your steps," I explained gently. "We can recreate some of the moments you experienced before—see if any of it jogs a reaction. Perhaps if you read this book again, it will begin to trigger little pieces of your past."

​Eva looked back at the book, a glimmer of genuine hope brightening her eyes. "Thank you, Lord Leo. I am really, truly grateful for this."

​"Of course," I said, offering a warm smile as I stood up from the chair. "I must leave now before the staff finds it suspicious that I am in my brother’s soon-to-be wife's chambers at this hour."

​Eva let out a quiet, melodic laugh that warmed my entire chest. "Goodnight, Lord Leo."

​"Goodnight, Eva," I whispered, holding her gaze for one quiet second before turning and slipping out into the corridor.

​As I walked down the quiet hallway, a profound sense of clarity settled over me.

​My love for her wasn't a cage—it was a shield. Lucian was terrified of her remembering because he was selfish; he wanted to mold a blank canvas into his ideal, submissive Duchess. But I loved her too much to build a dynamic on a lie. I wanted her—her real spirit, her fierce mind, and her true past.

​I wouldn't force a confession on a confused girl who couldn't even recall her own name. I was going to help her rebuild her lost world piece by piece, even if it meant she might ultimately choose a different path. My love for her was selfless enough to give her back her freedom first.

​Lucian’s POV

​I swirled the deep red wine in my crystal glass, staring blankly as the trade council delegates babbled on across the long mahogany dining table.

​I couldn't stand this. Sitting beside my father while he droned on about regional grain tariffs and estate taxations was utter agony. I couldn't wait for this endless circus to be over—for this wedding to finally happen so I could take the Duchy, assume total control, and step into the title I was born to hold. My father's time was up; the future of Valenridge belonged to me.

​Completely distracted, I took a low, slow sip of my wine, letting my eyes wander lazily across the gilded banquet hall.

​Then, my breath caught in my throat.

​Swinging open the double doors of the hall came a familiar silhouette—a woman carrying a heavy silver tray of roasted meats and goblet refills. I froze, my grip tightening on the stem of my glass until my knuckles turned white. No. It cannot be. It is just someone who looks like her.

​I leaned forward, my gaze locking onto her as she glided past the high-backed chairs, serving the council members with practiced, quiet elegance.

​She turned, stepping up to our side of the head table. She lifted her head, her gaze meeting mine directly.

​A slow, terrifying smile spread across her lips.

​A cold spike of sheer panic shot through my chest, drowning out the ambient noise of the room. It was her. Lady Bella.

​The sight of her face brought back a wave of suffocating, long-buried terror. As a teenager, she had haunted my darkest nightmares—a looming, manipulative figure of absolute dread that had terrified me year after year. I thought I had erased her. I thought I had recovered from the scars she left on my mind.

​"Ah! Lady Bella!" my father's voice boomed suddenly, breaking through my paralysis as he sat up straight in his velvet chair. "You are back in Valenridge! Goodness, it has been far too long!"

​My father turned to the council lords beside him, letting out a robust laugh. "Gentlemen, this woman was the absolute finest nanny this region has ever seen! She used to watch over Lucian and Leo when Eleanor and I were swallowed by provincial duties. She practically ran our nursery!"

​The lords around the table chuckled in agreement, raising their glasses in polite amusement.

​My father beamed, looking up at her with familiar warmth. "You must come visit us at the estate for lunch sometime! My wife and Leo would be utterly thrilled to see you again. It has been years."

​Lady Bella dipped her head in a graceful, modest curtsy, her dark eyes flashing with something cold and calculating. "Of course, Your Grace. I have missed them all dearly. I only recently moved back to the province and decided to try a new form of income."

​"Nonsense, you are always welcome at Valenridge!" my father insisted warmly. Then, he turned his head toward me, frowning slightly. "Lucian? Why are you so awfully quiet? Gentlemen, as a boy, Lucian used to sob uncontrollably every time Miss Bella was out of his sight!"

​A wave of loud, boisterous laughter erupted from the trade delegates around the table.

​"Come now, son," my father nudged me with his elbow. "Greet her!"

​I forced the muscles in my face to relax, pulling a smooth, practiced smile over the sheer horror clawing at my throat. "It is... nice to see you. It has been a long time, Miss Bella."

​"You have grown so very much, Lucian," she purred softly, her eyes raking over me with a heavy, unspoken threat that made my skin crawl. "A true gentleman now."

​With a final, lingering look at me, she bowed her head and glided away toward the kitchen doors.

​The council members resumed their booming conversations, but the entire room had turned to ash. I sat frozen, staring into my wine glass, my mind spinning into a frenzy of dark, desperate calculation.

​How did she manage to come back?

​Years ago, I had used every ounce of my leverage, every threat, and every piece of gold I possessed to kick that dangerous woman out of Valenridge for good. I had buried her secrets. I had ensured she would never set foot near my family again.

​And now, right on the precipice of my wedding and my ascension to Duke, she was back.

​I swallowed hard, my cold smile fading into a ruthless, venomous stare as I watched the kitchen doors swing shut. I had worked too hard, manipulated too many lives, and sacrificed too much to let her ruin everything now. Whatever she came back for, I would make sure she regretted ever returning to Valenridge.