Bound by fire, Claimed by love

A Mother's Warning

Evelyn barely had time to react before Damian moved. In one fluid motion, he stepped in front of her, his dagger drawn, his stance tense.

The heavy silence stretched, broken only by the faint flicker of torches.

Then, out of the shadows, a figure emerged.

Lady Celeste.

Evelyn's breath hitched. The Dowager Duchess was dressed in an elegant midnight-blue gown, her golden hair styled to perfection, as if she had not just stepped into a hidden chamber beneath the Vale estate but into a royal court.

She regarded them both with an unreadable expression, though her sharp blue eyes lingered a fraction longer on Evelyn.

"My, my," she said smoothly, stepping forward. "How fascinating."

Damian didn't lower his weapon. "Mother," he said, his tone clipped. "What are you doing here?"

Lady Celeste arched a perfectly shaped brow. "I could ask you the same." She shifted her gaze to the table, taking in the ancient map, the ledger, the secrets sprawled before them. "Though I imagine this little… excursion is your doing, Evelyn."

Evelyn met her gaze, refusing to shrink under the weight of her scrutiny. "And if it is?"

A slow, knowing smile curved Lady Celeste's lips. "Then I would say you are playing a dangerous game, my dear."

Damian's grip on his dagger tightened. "Mother. Enough."

Lady Celeste sighed, as if disappointed, but there was an edge to her amusement. "You should be careful about where you place your trust, Damian." She stepped closer, her gaze locked onto her son's. "You may think you know Evelyn, but you forget… her house was built on ruin."

Evelyn stiffened, heat rising in her chest. "If my family was ruined, it was not by their own doing."

"Oh?" Lady Celeste tilted her head. "And what makes you so sure?"

Evelyn opened her mouth to speak, but Damian was faster.

"I will not have you insult her," he said coldly.

Something flickered in Lady Celeste's eyes—surprise, perhaps, or something deeper. But she masked it quickly.

"Very well," she said, turning as if she had already lost interest. "I only came to warn you, my son." She paused at the doorway, glancing over her shoulder. "Some truths are best left buried."

Then she was gone, the sound of her heels clicking against the stone fading into the distance.

Evelyn exhaled, realizing only then how tense she had been. "She knows something."

Damian sheathed his dagger, his expression dark. "She always does."

Evelyn turned back to the table, her fingers brushing over the name Ravenshire once more.

If Lady Celeste thought she could scare her away, she was wrong.

She wasn't going anywhere.