Chapter 53 – The Reckoning Begins

The ride back to Valemont Manor was steeped in a silence heavier than before. The revelation in Halvar's study had altered something fundamental between them—between Adrian and himself, between Seraphina and the war they were waging.

Seraphina watched Adrian from the corner of her eye, his profile stark against the dimming light filtering through the carriage window. He had not spoken since they left Halvar's estate, but she could feel the storm brewing within him. His grip on the edge of the seat was tight, his knuckles pale against the dark fabric of his gloves.

She did not break the silence immediately. He needed space to reckon with the truth—his mother's murder was no accident, but a calculated removal by Laurent. The war they had been waging was no longer a pursuit of power; it was now deeply, painfully personal.

"You meant it, didn't you?" she asked at last, her voice careful but steady.

Adrian's gaze did not shift from the window. "What?"

"When you said the deception ends here."

His fingers twitched against the upholstery. "Yes." A pause, heavy with things unsaid. Then, quietly, "But I wasn't only speaking of Laurent."

She had suspected as much.

Their marriage, their alliance, had been built on necessity and strategy, veiled in half-truths and carefully wielded deception. Yet here they were, bound not just by shared enemies but by something far more fragile—trust. And perhaps, something else neither dared to name.

Seraphina leaned forward slightly. "So what does that mean?"

He turned then, truly looking at her. His expression was unreadable, but there was an openness to his eyes she had never quite seen before. "It means that I will no longer play this game with half-measures. Not with you, and certainly not with Laurent."

Her pulse quickened, though she kept her composure. "Then what is our next move?"

Adrian's jaw tightened. "Halvar will act, but cautiously. He is not a man who moves without securing every advantage. That means we cannot rely solely on him."

Seraphina nodded. "Then we press forward with our own plan. Edric is in place. The rebellion has been primed."

His lips curled slightly, though the expression did not reach his eyes. "And we ensure that when Laurent falls, he does not rise again."

There it was—the finality in his tone. He was done playing within the confines of noble politics. Laurent's downfall would not be a mere stripping of titles and wealth. Adrian wanted blood.

Seraphina's fingers traced absent patterns against her skirt. She had never been one for needless cruelty, but there was no denying that Laurent deserved every ounce of Adrian's wrath.

"If we do this," she said, her voice measured, "we must do it cleanly. No loose ends. No room for him to maneuver out of it."

Adrian's gaze held hers, his stormy eyes darkening. "Agreed."

The carriage slowed as they neared Valemont Manor. Adrian reached for the door before the footman could even lower the steps, his movements precise, controlled. But Seraphina saw it now—that control was a thin veil, a dam holding back years of grief and vengeance.

She stepped out after him, falling into stride beside him as they crossed the grand entrance. The moment the doors shut behind them, Adrian turned abruptly.

"There's something I need to do."

Seraphina lifted a brow. "Alone?"

His hesitation was brief. "Yes."

She studied him for a long moment before inclining her head. "Very well."

But as he turned to leave, she caught his wrist, halting him.

"Adrian."

He looked down at where her fingers wrapped around his glove, then back at her.

"Don't let revenge blind you to the greater war we're fighting," she said quietly. "Laurent's end is inevitable, but we must be the ones to control how it happens."

Something in his expression shifted—just slightly. Then, after a beat, he gave a single nod. "I know."

She released him, watching as he disappeared down the hall.

Seraphina exhaled, steeling herself. The deception had ended. But the battle had only just begun.