Bound by fire, Claimed by love

Evelyn sat in the carriage, her hands clenched in her lap as the wheels rolled over the cobbled streets. The encounter with Alistair left a weight in her chest that she couldn't shake.

Does she know everything, Damian?

The words echoed in her mind.

What did he mean? What wasn't she seeing?

She had expected Damian to question her after Alistair left. To demand why she had been speaking to him, why she was leaving so suddenly. But instead, he had said nothing.

Not a single word.

He had merely helped her into the carriage, his grip firm but distant, and watched as the door shut between them.

Evelyn exhaled sharply, trying to push the thoughts away, but a nagging feeling told her she had only scratched the surface of something far deeper.

She leaned her head back against the seat, staring at the carriage ceiling.

Was Alistair truly involved in her family's downfall? If so, why taunt her instead of silencing her? And why was Damian's reaction so... restrained?

Her fingers unconsciously traced the embroidery on her dress.

She had spent years believing House Ravenshire had been abandoned by the nobility, left to ruin because of misfortune. But now… pieces of a different puzzle were forming.

The carriage came to a slow halt.

Evelyn sat up straight, her heartbeat quickening.

This wasn't her estate.

She peeked through the curtain. The street was unfamiliar, quieter than the usual bustling roads.

A shiver ran down her spine.

"Why have we stopped?" she called out.

The coachman didn't answer.

The uneasy feeling from earlier twisted into something sharper.

And then—

A shadow moved just beyond the carriage window.