Chapter 68

AVA

I had waited long enough. Days had passed since I uncovered Eleanor’s dark secrets in the library, and every minute since then had been filled with a mix of anger, fear, and a relentless drive to confront her. Eleanor might have fooled the entire world with her calm demeanor and carefully crafted lies, but I knew better now. I needed answers, and I needed them directly from her.

The mansion was unusually quiet as I made my way through the grand hallways. Everyone else seemed to have gone out or retired to their rooms. This was the perfect moment to catch Eleanor alone, to make her face the truth without any of her usual defenses. I found her in the drawing room, standing by the large bay window, staring out at the darkening sky. She didn’t hear me approach, her back turned to me, the only sound in the room the soft ticking of the grandfather clock.

“Eleanor,” I called out, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me.

She turned slowly, her expression calm but curious. “Ava