Chapter 56

Eleanor's eyes went wide, her chest slightly heaving with anticipation. Her knees threatened to fail her as she slowly accepted the journal, the scissors she was using falling out of her hand.

"I will leave you to it, then. I need to..."

"Wait," she managed to say, her voice coming out like a croak instead. She turned to the journal, the base of her eyes already filled to the brim with tears.

Slowly, she opened the book to the page Brandon had kept marked, her eyes widening at the content.

"There is nothing quite as powerful as the union of two friends against one standing outside. But when that one turns them against each other, the maximum profit, the maximum strength belongs to me."

Eleanor felt her body tremble, and she sat, rather clumsily on the edge of the bed, her chest feeling constricted.

"What did they think? That I would let then strengthen their bonds with their children's marriage? They have made me an outcast even though we grew up togethe