"You!" I shouted, striding into my own dining room like it was a battlefield. "What the hell are you doing in my home!"
The tall, broad-shouldered man who stepped forward wasn't Duke Alaric Thorne as I'd expected, but someone almost as threatening—Reed, the Duke's most trusted enforcer. His face remained impassive as he regarded me, seemingly unimpressed by my outrage.
"Lady Beatrix Beaumont," he stated flatly, "we're here on official business by order of Duke Alaric Thorne, with full authorization from the royal court."
Clara clutched my arm. "Mother..."
I shook her off, drawing myself up taller. "I see no warrants, no official documentation. This is breaking and entering—a crime even the mighty Duke cannot ignore."
Reed's lips curved into a cold smile. "We didn't break in, Lady Beatrix. We used the key."
"Impossible! I've dismissed most of the staff, and Jasper would never—"
