Rosaline took a shallow breath, her fingers trembling as she stared at the untouched porcelain cup in front of her. The weight of Edward's gaze made her stomach twist with something far more terrifying than fear: certainty.
She had been careless.
Edward hummed quietly, as if plucking the thought straight from her mind. "No, my lady. This started when you made your claims and spread rumors throughout noble society." His voice was laced with amusement, but beneath it, there was something merciless. This was not a warning. This was a sentence.
Her heart pounded against her ribs, screaming at her to run, fight, or do something. "So, what is this?" she demanded, pressing her hands against the table's surface to keep herself stable. "What did you—"
Edward tilted his head slightly, his brown eyes calm, unreadable. "Just something to make you feel free again."
The words struck like a slap.