[Eleania's POV—Talvan Estate—Morning]
"…I feel betrayed," I whisper, voice small in the sun-blanched salon.
Sirella lifts her teacup without looking. The porcelain breathes steam like a secret. She doesn't blink. She only flips the newspaper with the casual cruelty of someone folding up other people's lives.
"And what made you feel betrayed, Eleania?" Her tone is sugar over steel.
My hand curls into a fist so tight the knuckles ache. "You promised—you said you would help me get closer to Lord Osric—"
She doesn't even bother to hide the contempt in her smile. "I said I would help. I never promised, Eleania."
Her eyes find mine at last and the room chills. Dark light pools in the irises—cold, calculating. "Know your place before you dare to raise that filthy voice at me." Her voice is a blade sheathed in velvet. "You like Lord Osric, yes. But because of your foolishness? He doesn't even look at you. So do not blame me for your mistakes, Eleania."
