"Do you truly believe I can succeed?" I asked Clara as we sat in the small study adjacent to my chambers.
Clara Meadows folded her hands in her lap, her expression thoughtful. "You mean about revealing Baron Reginald's abuse?"
"Yes. The timing needs to be perfect," I said, tracing the fading scar on my cheek. "When the evidence about Lady Beatrix's schemes surfaces, it would be the right moment to speak my truth as well."
"The court already whispers about their cruelty," Clara replied. "But your firsthand account would change everything."
I gazed out the window at the sprawling gardens of Thorne Manor. "I don't want pity, Clara. I want justice."
"And you deserve it," she agreed firmly. "After what they did to you—"
"It's not just for me anymore," I interrupted, turning back to face her. "Sometimes I wonder if I want to raise children in Lockwood at all."
Clara's eyebrows rose. "Children? Are you—"
