ElaraThe day felt heavier than it should have.Everywhere I turned, there were reminders of what Alistair had set in motion.The Valmont family was losing partners. Their influence was shrinking. People who had once stood beside them were suddenly stepping away, and everyone seemed to be searching for someone to blame.But the more I watched it unfold, the more one truth troubled me.Louis had not started this war.He had inherited it.And somehow, he was being dragged into the consequences.I was still thinking about it when Louis called.“I need to see Grandfather,” he said. His voice was unusually quiet. “Would you come with me?”I hesitated.Going to the Valmont estate with Louis felt complicated now. Too many things had changed between us. Once, I would have gone without questioning it.Now, I had to consider Alistair.Still, I could hear the strain in Louis’s voice.“I’ll come.”When we arrived, the atmosphere inside the house was nothing like the Valmont estate I remembered.T
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