Chapter 26

• The sun was high as Amara approached the opulent estate where Lucy had been staying under the pretense of innocence. Her heart pounded with a mixture of fury and determination. This confrontation had been building for far too long, and Amara knew it was time to end Lucy’s charade. She had enough evidence to implicate her stepsister, but this wasn’t just about the council or proving Lucy’s guilt. This was personal. Amara needed to hear it from Lucy’s own mouth—to confront the woman who had betrayed her so deeply in both lifetimes.
• As Amara entered the grand hall, Lucy lounged casually on a chaise near the window, her long dark hair gleaming in the sunlight. She looked up with a slow, feline smile that sent a chill down Amara’s spine.
• “Well, well,” Lucy drawled, setting her glass of wine down on a side table. “If it isn’t my dear sister. To what do I owe the pleasure?”