Chapter 39: Shadows and Secrets

Chapter 39: Shadows and Secrets

Seraphina's breath came unsteady as she stood in the dim library, Adrian's grip still firm on her shoulders. His presence was overpowering, a force she could no longer ignore.

"You shouldn't have followed me," she whispered, though her voice lacked conviction.

Adrian exhaled, his hands tightening momentarily before he let go. "You shouldn't have come alone," he countered, his tone low and controlled. "You think I don't know what you're doing? You're pushing me away because you think it's the only way to keep control. But, Seraphina—" he leaned in, his voice dropping to a hushed intensity—"you lost control the moment you married me."

A tremor ran through her, not entirely from anger.

"You don't get to decide that," she retorted.

"Then tell me," he challenged, "if I had not been here tonight, what would you have done if this was a trap?"

She stiffened. "It wasn't."

"And yet you stand here, trembling."

Seraphina hated that he was right. Hated that, despite her resolve, the sight of him standing here, protecting her even when she hadn't asked him to, sent an unwelcome warmth through her chest.

She took a measured breath, forcing herself to focus. "I came here for answers, Adrian. Not for another argument with you."

Adrian studied her, then glanced toward the empty expanse of the library. "And have you received your answers?"

Silence stretched between them.

Seraphina swallowed hard. "Not yet."

Adrian's jaw clenched. "Then we wait together."

Before she could protest, he reached for the single candle on the table, lifting it to cast more light into the surrounding darkness. His presence, so solid, so unwavering, sent a wave of conflicting emotions through her.

But before she could dwell on them, the sound of a door creaking open echoed through the vast room.

Seraphina's pulse quickened.

Adrian stepped slightly in front of her, his posture shifting, ready to act.

A figure emerged from the shadows—a hooded man, his face obscured.

Seraphina clenched her fists at her sides.

"Are you the one who sent the letter?" she asked, keeping her voice even.

The man nodded. "Yes. And I meant for you to come alone." His gaze flicked to Adrian. "I see that was a wasted request."

Adrian's expression was cold, unreadable. "If you have something to say, say it quickly. My patience wears thin when my wife is summoned in secrecy."

The man hesitated, then slowly removed his hood.

It was Laurent.

Her father's betrayer. Seraphina's stomach twisted—not in shock, but in grim acknowledgment. Laurent had played the game well, slithering in the shadows, planting doubts in her mind about Adrian at every turn. And now, this was his final gambit.

Adrian's body coiled with tension. "You enjoy sneaking around, don't you?"

Laurent ignored him. His gaze locked onto Seraphina. "I warned you to watch him. I told you he wasn't who he claimed to be. You should have listened."

Seraphina lifted her chin. "You claim to offer truth, yet all you ever give are riddles. If you truly know something, say it plainly."

Laurent stepped forward, his voice grave. "It wasn't just treason." His eyes gleamed with a knowing darkness. "Your father was framed."

Seraphina did not flinch. "Well, I know that now," she replied, her voice sharp, her expression unreadable. Laurent had betrayed her before, and she would not let him manipulate her again. The time had not yet come to deal with him, but she would remember this moment.

Laurent's gaze flickered to Adrian, and something unspoken passed between them—something layered with old battles and unforgotten sins. "And the man who had the most to gain from it… is standing beside you."

Seraphina's breath caught in her throat. Now she was dumbfounded.

She turned sharply to Adrian—but he was already looking at Laurent, his expression like carved stone.

"No," she whispered. No wonder Laurent had indirectly told her to be wary of Adrian.

Laurent continued, unrelenting. "The Duke of Valemont played a role in your father's fall."

Silence crashed over them, heavy and suffocating.

Seraphina stared at Adrian, searching his face.

Adrian didn't flinch. Didn't deny it. Laurent, of course, had an axe to grind with him. Their history ran deep, tangled in past deceptions and shifting loyalties.

Which meant—

It was true.

A sharp, unbearable pain twisted in her chest.

She had thought she was finally beginning to understand him.

But now—

Had she married the man responsible for her father's ruin?

Had she fallen into the very trap she had spent years trying to escape?

Her world had just shattered.

And Adrian Valemont was at the center of it.

Laurent turned on his heel, his cloak billowing in the dim candlelight. As he strode toward the shadows, he cast a smirk over his shoulder, a predator reveling in the chaos he had sown.

"You'll come to see the truth, Duchess," he murmured, his voice silk and venom intertwined. "And when you do, let's see if you can still stand by him."

Seraphina's hands clenched into fists. Laurent thought he had won tonight. Thought he had cracked her resolve, planted seeds of doubt too deep to uproot.

But he underestimated her.

If Adrian was guilty, she would uncover the full truth herself.

And if Laurent had lied—

She would make him regret ever playing this game.