Chapter 424

• I sighed quietly, relieved that neither Leah nor Alana had made a move when I casually mentioned wanting to throw a verbal jab at Viola. I trusted those two knew exactly where to draw the line. Gracehold Estate was a battlefield in its own right but it wasn’t a place to start physical fights. Not yet, anyway.
• Viola’s intense hatred still baffled me. I hadn’t done much to her directly at least, not enough to justify this level of venom. Then it clicked: Rebecca. That toxic whisperer had clearly poisoned Viola’s mind with stories and half-truths, fueling resentment over my engagement and everything it symbolized. Rebecca was bitter about how I’d slipped into the royal orbit, and apparently she’d been busy stirring trouble behind the scenes.
• Yet, Viola had once been married into the Farrell family. Her late husband, Thomas, was known as a man of rare insight and grace. If she had even half his wisdom, why was she so blinded by bitterness now?