Eleanor's POV
The meeting room was thick with tension. I stood in front of Madam mere and the Patriarch, while my father paced, his face twisted with barely controlled fury.
"This is insane," he spat, slamming his hand on the polished wood table. "You want me to just hand over the artifact? The one I spent thirty million dollars on? The one we need for the larger plan?"
My mother's voice was calm. "There won't be any larger plan if the Queen isn't brought back in the first place. The vehicle is essential. The artifact is a small price to pay."
"Small price?" My father laughed, but there was no humor in it. "The founding families aren't stupid. If they find out how badly we need that vehicle, they'll use it against us. They'll form a plan to take the artifact and keep the vehicle. We'll lose everything."
I interrupted, my voice cutting through his rant. "You don't know them like I do."
His eyes snapped to me, sharp and suspicious. "And you do?"
