Chapter 44: The Weight of Betrayal

Chapter 44: The Weight of Betrayal

The fire in Adrian's study burned low, casting flickering shadows across the dark wood paneling. The air between them was thick with unspoken truths, as if the very room held its breath, waiting for the next words to fall like a guillotine.

Seraphina stood tall, her pulse steady despite the storm raging inside her. "Laurent wasn't just another vulture circling my father's ruin," she said, her voice measured. "There is more to his involvement."

Adrian's gaze remained impassive, but the subtle shift in his posture—the way his fingers tightened around the armrest of his chair—betrayed his thoughts. "You already knew that."

"I knew he played a role. But I don't know how deep it runs." She took a step closer, watching him carefully. "He wasn't acting alone. You've fathomed that?"

Adrian's exhale was slow, controlled. "Yes, I have."

Seraphina's fingers curled against the fabric of her gown. "Then who?"

A muscle in Adrian's jaw tensed. He didn't look away, but his silence was an answer in itself.

Her breath shallowed. "You know."

A long pause. Then, carefully—too carefully—he spoke. "I have suspicions, but not yet the proof to name them. What I do know is that there were forces at play long before your father's downfall, Seraphina. He was neither the first nor the last to be caught in them."

Her pulse quickened. "Then what made him different?"

Adrian hesitated—just for a moment. Then, his voice dropped to a low murmur. "I think he stepped where he shouldn't have."

A cold shiver ran down her spine. "Where?"

Adrian studied her, his silver eyes unreadable, as if weighing the cost of answering. Instead of replying, he turned away, reaching for the crystal decanter on his desk. He poured himself a drink, the amber liquid catching the firelight.

Seraphina's nails dug into her palms. "You're still holding back."

Adrian took a measured sip before responding. "And you're impatient."

"Because this matters!" she snapped. "If there's more to my father's ruin than what Laurent did, then I have a right to know."

Adrian exhaled slowly, setting the glass down with deliberate care. "Your father wasn't merely a casualty, Seraphina. He was a piece in a game he never fully understood. And he wasn't as innocent as you believe."

The words sent a chill through her. "And you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Where were you in all of this?"

Adrian's fingers tightened against the desk. "By the time I gathered enough to act, it was too late."

Seraphina's pulse thundered in her ears. "Act how?"

His silver eyes flickered with something raw—regret? Guilt? She wasn't sure. "To stop it."

Her breath hitched. "You were deceived," she murmured, searching his face. "You thought you were doing the right thing, didn't you?"

Adrian did not answer.

Which meant she was right.

"You believed my father was guilty," she said, her voice steady despite the whirlwind inside her.

His fingers curled into a fist. "There was evidence, Seraphina. Documents. Witnesses. Things that painted a very different picture than the one you hold of him."

Seraphina inhaled sharply. "Then why marry me?"

Adrian's gaze darkened, a shadow passing over his expression. "Because by the time I realized the truth, it was the only way to stop worse from happening."

Seraphina's stomach twisted. "Worse?"

He hesitated again. Then, slowly, he leaned forward, voice dropping to a murmur. "Your father's downfall wasn't about him, Seraphina. It was..." He halted, his jaw tightening. "I can't say more. Not yet. I'm still searching for answers myself. I don't know it all."

"Damn you, Adrian," she whispered, her hands trembling at her sides. "You give me pieces but never the whole truth. You keep holding back."

He turned to face her fully then, his silver gaze piercing, intense. "I give you what I can," he said quietly. "Because some truths are more dangerous than lies."

Seraphina inhaled sharply, staring at him.

For the first time, she wondered—was Adrian protecting her from the truth? Or protecting himself from what it would mean if she knew it?

Either way, one thing was certain.

She would find out.

Even if it destroyed them both.

Chapter 44: The Weight of Betrayal

The fire in Adrian's study burned low, casting flickering shadows across the dark wood paneling. The air between them was thick with unspoken truths, as if the very room held its breath, waiting for the next words to fall like a guillotine.

Seraphina stood tall, her pulse steady despite the storm raging inside her. "Laurent wasn't just another vulture circling my father's ruin," she said, her voice measured. "There is more to his involvement."

Adrian's gaze remained impassive, but the subtle shift in his posture—the way his fingers tightened around the armrest of his chair—betrayed his thoughts. "You already knew that."

"I knew he played a role. But I don't know how deep it runs." She took a step closer, watching him carefully. "He wasn't acting alone. You've fathomed that?"

Adrian's exhale was slow, controlled. "Yes, I have."

Seraphina's fingers curled against the fabric of her gown. "Then who?"

A muscle in Adrian's jaw tensed. He didn't look away, but his silence was an answer in itself.

Her breath shallowed. "You know."

A long pause. Then, carefully—too carefully—he spoke. "I have suspicions, but not yet the proof to name them. What I do know is that there were forces at play long before your father's downfall, Seraphina. He was neither the first nor the last to be caught in them."

Her pulse quickened. "Then what made him different?"

Adrian hesitated—just for a moment. Then, his voice dropped to a low murmur. "I think he stepped where he shouldn't have."

A cold shiver ran down her spine. "Where?"

Adrian studied her, his silver eyes unreadable, as if weighing the cost of answering. Instead of replying, he turned away, reaching for the crystal decanter on his desk. He poured himself a drink, the amber liquid catching the firelight.

Seraphina's nails dug into her palms. "You're still holding back."

Adrian took a measured sip before responding. "And you're impatient."

"Because this matters!" she snapped. "If there's more to my father's ruin than what Laurent did, then I have a right to know."

Adrian exhaled slowly, setting the glass down with deliberate care. "Your father wasn't merely a casualty, Seraphina. He was a piece in a game he never fully understood. And he wasn't as innocent as you believe."

The words sent a chill through her. "And you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Where were you in all of this?"

Adrian's fingers tightened against the desk. "By the time I gathered enough to act, it was too late."

His jaw tightened. "Trying to stop it. But by the time I uncovered the truth, it was too late. Your father was already condemned, and Laurent had tightened his hold over the court."

Seraphina felt her pulse quicken. "And now? What do you intend to do?"

Adrian didn't hesitate. "Expose him."

She let out a slow breath, stepping back, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. "Genevieve…" she murmured, recalling their conversation from earlier that night.

She had warned Seraphina, but she had also made her allegiance clear.

And if she had chosen Laurent's side, then she was already lost to him.

Adrian watched her carefully. "Genevieve is dangerous, Seraphina. If she has aligned herself with Laurent, then she is not an ally."

Seraphina's throat tightened. Then she becomes a threat.

The realization burned.

She had lost her father to Laurent's schemes.

She refused to lose herself as well.

Lifting her chin, she met Adrian's gaze with quiet resolve. "Then we move first."

Adrian's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "Now that's the woman I married."

Seraphina ignored the warmth that bloomed in her chest.

This wasn't about them.

This was about justice.

And she intended to have it.

No matter the cost.