Lorne swallowed and straightened in his seat, knowing there was only one safe answer to the question Ethan had just asked.“Who stopped Darius from turning Verdanis into his personal playground?”“You did, sir.”Lorne's answer came quickly, but Ethan did not look satisfied. The Brigadier General could see that this was no longer about correcting one careless remark. Ethan was forcing him to remember what Verdanis had looked like when Darius was close to winning.“Do you remember what this country looked like during the final months of that war?” Ethan asked.“Yes, sir. I remember.”“Then remember why we fought before you reduce everything we built afterward to people simply being tired of my government.”Lorne's jaw tightened. “I would never reduce your sacrifice to that, Grand Master.”“Then don't sit there and speak as though I inherited this country from Darius Herold.” Ethan's voice remained low, which made his anger sharper. “I fought to keep this country safe from him.”Lorne l

The security chief answered carefully. “That possibility has been raised, General. But without knowing what the items mean, we cannot determine whether they were planted, whether Leonard possessed them for some unknown reason, or whether they relate directly to his death.”Ethan let out a slow breath. “Which means we still know almost nothing.”“We know more than last night, sir,” the chief said.“No.” Ethan looked at him. “We have more things. That isn't the same as having more answers.”The chief could not disagree.For a moment, Ethan simply stood there. Beyond the entrance, several household workers moved through the halls, but the moment they noticed him, their pace changed. Some of them lowered their eyes. Others disappeared quickly into adjoining rooms.Ethan saw it.He did not comment.The rumors surrounding Leonard's death were still alive inside his own home, and that knowledge added another weight to everything already sitting on his shoulders.He finally asked, “Where is S

Selene did not answer Ethan immediately.She remained where she was, one hand resting against the curve of her stomach while the other moved slowly across it. Her expression was calm, almost too calm considering the tension that had swallowed the entire Xavier Estate since Leonard's death.Ethan stared at her, still trying to understand how she had appeared inside his chambers without the security chief knowing she was anywhere around the estate. “I said, what are you doing here?”Selene finally raised her eyes to him. Her brows drew together slightly, as though she found the question strange rather than threatening. “Why do you ask such a question? This is my house.”Ethan's expression tightened.Technically, she was right. She was his wife. These chambers were part of the home they shared, and nobody could reasonably describe her presence there as trespassing.Still, something about her answer bothered him.Selene had not asked why he looked exhausted or why the estate had become un

Ethan remained where he was, studying Selene with a level of attention that would have made most people uncomfortable. She had opened the door for him to ask whatever was bothering him, but that did not make the question easier to speak aloud. If anything, her confidence made him feel that he was stepping into a conversation she had already prepared for.Selene waited without rushing him. She did not repeat the invitation or offer another hint. Her silence placed the choice entirely on Ethan, and he disliked how effectively it weakened the pride he had been using to protect himself.Ethan finally looked away. “You seem unusually patient today.” He walked several steps toward the windows before stopping. “Normally, when you know something I don't, you enjoy making me work for it.”Selene remained near the bed, one hand resting against her stomach. “Perhaps I have learned that forcing you to speak only makes you more stubborn.” Her expression carried a faint amusement. “You will ask whe

Selene's expression remained calm. “You asked me what I knew.”“I asked what you knew. I did not ask you to stand there and tell me something insane.”Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Insane because you don't want it to be true?”Ethan studied her face, but her composure only made the confession harder to accept. “No. Insane because you are asking me to ignore everything I know about you and Leonard.”Selene's expression remained firm. “I'm not asking you to ignore anything.”“Then give me something that makes this believable.”“I will,” Selene replied. “If you stop treating disbelief as evidence that I'm lying.”Ethan's jaw tightened.Leonard had served the Xavier household for years. Selene knew exactly what the man meant to him. She knew the respect Leonard commanded inside the estate. She knew what his death would do to the household.More importantly, Selene was pregnant.Ethan looked at her stomach before his eyes returned to her face.The sight made his confusion worse. Her pregnan