For a moment, Violet was stunned, unsure of what to say as she rose to her feet. Uva stood up as well, though her posture and silence made it clear—she had no intention of interfering. She was there to observe, and nothing more. Anything beyond that, and her life might be at risk.
"At least give me some time to think about it!" Violet pleaded, her voice lined with strain, a worried expression pinching her face. She stared at the woman before her—Lady June—who held her gaze in cold silence for several long, suffocating seconds before finally replying.
"You have a few days," Lady June said curtly. "Send your decision through Uva."
Her displeasure was plain in the tight line of her mouth, the flicker of annoyance in her narrowed eyes. She turned on her heel, clearly ready to leave, but paused mid-step when Violet's voice broke through the tension once again—this time softer, uncertain, but deeply personal.
