Evelyn's POV
The night was quiet, and the soft hum of crickets filtered into the servant quarters through the half open window. Lisa and I sat on her narrow mat, the small oil lamp flickering between us and casting trembling shadows on the wall. The air smelled faintly of soap and wood polish, remnants of the evening chores we'd just finished.
Lisa brushed out her tangled hair in silence, her movements slow, almost absent minded. I watched her for a while before I finally spoke, my voice hesitant but steady.
"I…. I talked to Aiden today," I said quietly.
Her hands froze mid stroke, the brush hovering over her hair. "You what?" she asked, turning sharply toward me.
I nodded. "I needed to know the truth, Lisa. About what really happened."
Lisa's lips trembled, her eyes darting away. I reached for her hand. "He told me.… it wasn't him who.... touched you. That it was his father, Alpha Baston."
