Yes." Isadora swallowed hard. "She wanted Lucien. Cedric… he wanted me. I was their pawn in a twisted game. I tried to escape, but Cedric caught me. The only way out was the bracelet. I didn't even know what I was doing—I just begged for freedom, for release. And then it activated. That's how I met Mrs. Adele."
At that, Celeste's gaze flickered to Adele, still brimming with disbelief and gratitude that her old friend was alive. But she said nothing, letting Isadora go on.
"She taught me everything I needed to know," Isadora continued. "Not just about magic, but about the truth. About what the bracelet really is. What it protects. And what Lucien really is."
