Chapter 71. Rina’s Calculated Move

Rina’s hands trembled slightly as she unfolded Lucian’s letter, her heart racing faster than she cared to admit. The moment she saw his familiar handwriting, that seal she always longed to see addressed only to her, something warm and foolish flickered in her chest.

But as she read his words, that warmth turned cold.

Selena… Again. Always Selena.

His instructions were clear—painfully clear. She was to carry out the final act, the one that would bring Selena’s stay at the Gamma’s estate to an end. She was to weave the last web of whispers, let the head maid’s fury do the rest, and ensure Selena was cast out in shame.

Rina exhaled slowly, lowering the parchment, her thoughts spiraling.

Why? she wondered bitterly. Why does he care so much about her? What is she to him that he’d risk so much, go this far, just to protect her?

Her heart clenched as an unwelcome truth wormed its way into her mind—there’s something between them. She’d seen it in his care