The weight of her fury, her fear, came crashing down on both men. Alaric opened his mouth to respond, but for once, no words came.
Lucius's jaw ticked, his knuckles white against the edge of the desk. "We search the castle," he ordered, his voice colder than before. "Every corridor, every hall. She couldn't have gone far without someone seeing her."
Alaric nodded stiffly. "I'll check the gardens and the eastern wing."
"And I'm going to the guards," Salviana snapped. "Someone must have seen her leave with all her things."
She turned on her heel, but not before one last glance at Jean's empty wardrobe. It was a quiet betrayal — the kind that burned slow and deep.
And with that, they scattered into the castle, the echo of Jean's absence ringing louder than words ever could.