Chapter 91 - The Hidden Compartment's Secret

My blood ran cold as Captain Orion's words settled over me. My name. My name carved inside a wooden flower identical to those found with the murdered women. I felt Alaric stiffen beside me, his hand immediately finding mine, gripping it tightly.

"Show me," Alaric demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

We stood in Lord Gideon's study, a richly appointed room with walls of books that suddenly seemed sinister rather than scholarly. Clara had been taken to another room where a physician was attending to her. Though she hadn't been physically harmed, the shock and terror of her ordeal had left her trembling and disoriented.

Captain Orion placed the wooden flower on Lord Gideon's desk. It was exquisite in its craftsmanship, petals delicately carved to mimic the night-blooming cereus in perfect detail. Unlike the real flower's ephemeral beauty, this wooden replica was meant to last forever—just as Lord Gideon had intended for his "collection" of women.