Elizabeth stood from her chair and crossed the room to pour herself a glass of water. Her reflection in the mirror above the console table looked composed, calm, elegant. But behind her eyes burned a quiet intensity.
"I warned you, Regina," she murmured to herself. "You chose to protect Ivy even when you knew the truth. You let her hurt not just my son but someone else's child. Now you're learning what that costs."
She took a sip of water and let the silence settle around her like silk.
There would be more battles to come—she knew that. Regina wouldn't give up so easily. She never did. But for now… Elizabeth had the upper hand. The footage was safe. Her identity was hidden. And Ivy's reputation? Sinking like a stone in the sea.
She walked to the window and looked out over the quiet streets of Zeden. People walked by, busy with their daily lives, unaware of the storm brewing in the high circles of the city's elite.
Let them gossip. Let them speculate.
