CHAPTER 77 Could He Have?

　　"Father would never..." Her own assertion sounded weak even to her ears. "But then again," she mused aloud, "desperation can poison even the purest heart."

　　She paced along the grand windows, light casting long shadows that seemed to dance mockingly at her plight. The news article- was it a warning or a revelation?

　　"Connected? It can't be," Camila muttered, the idea unfurling like a dark flower in her mind. Each petal a question, each thorn a doubt.

　　"Mother's death... an accident, they said." Her voice rose, a crescendo of incredulity laced with fear. "But accidents don't usually come with hushed whispers and veiled threats, do they?"

　　She stopped, her reflection in the window staring back at her- a woman who'd lost much but stood unbroken. Yet now, the prospect of betrayal from within her own fortress threatened to shatter her composure.