I spent the entire night in Eleanor's archive room, surrounded by decades of Silverstone family secrets. The revelation about Adrian's father had shaken me, but it also crystallized my understanding of the complex web of alliances and enemies that surrounded the family I had married into.
By dawn, I had compiled a comprehensive analysis that went far beyond what Eleanor had requested. The files revealed not just the family's current position, but a pattern of strategic moves that painted a picture of a dynasty under siege from multiple directions.
"Impressive work," Eleanor said when I presented my findings to her at precisely 2 PM the following afternoon. She had reviewed my thirty-page report in complete silence, her sharp gray eyes scanning every recommendation with the intensity of a general studying battle plans.
