"What you did today was reckless," Matriarch Genevieve said, her voice softer than I expected as she sat beside me in her private chambers. "Attacking Natalie at Violet's grave, even after what she did..."
I couldn't look at her. My hands trembled in my lap, the shame of my actions at the cemetery washing over me in waves.
"I know," I whispered. "I just... when I saw what she'd done to Violet's grave, something in me snapped."
Genevieve reached out, her aged hand covering mine. Despite her frail appearance, her grip was strong—like her spirit.
"Your rage is justified, Aurelia. But we must be strategic." She sighed, leaning back against her pillows. "Julian is blind where that woman is concerned. We need irrefutable evidence before we make our next move."
