The study fell into a silence that seemed louder than any accusation. Liora's knuckles were white where she gripped the edge of her chair, her mind spinning with Rowan's betrayal and the Queen Dowager's hidden hand.
Lucien stood still, every inch of him a coiled storm. But then...without warning, he turned sharply, striding toward the door.
"Lucien..." Liora called after him, rising quickly.
He didn't look back. "There's only one person who can confirm this without twisting the truth. If she truly played both sides, then she must face me."
Liora's breath caught. "You mean… the Queen Dowager?"
His jaw flexed, eyes burning with the kind of resolve that had once made him feared across the empire. "Yes. If Lilian used my disgrace to shield the crown, then she owes me her confession. No more whispers. No more riddles. She will speak to me directly."
