A Contract The Empire Couldn't Break
“If Catherine Hawthorne were struggling, the appropriate response would be support. Not commentary. Especially not here.”
Silence spread, thin and watchful.
“With respect, Mr. Crosswell,” Margaret said, “this does not concern you.”
Nathaniel’s gaze cooled. Not confrontational. Exact.
“Everything that happens in this room concerns me,” he said. “Because everything that happens in this room becomes part of the narrative Aurelia tells itself tomorrow.”
He turned slightly, angling his body to include Catherine and Henry without touching them.
“Mrs. Hawthorne has represented her family with grace tonight,” he continued. “Her presence reflects well on you. Any suggestion otherwise invites speculat
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