"I have the legal docunts right here," Lucius said smoothly, reaching into his jacket. He withdrew a folder, expensive leather, embossed with the Glimor family crest.
"We just need signatures. Simple formality, really."
He laid the folder on the table between them with casual precision.
"I’ll take Elina in three days. That should give everyone sufficient ti to prepare for the transition. Pack her belongings, say farewells, ensure the process is as smooth as possible."
Three days.
The words echoed in Selene’s mind like death sentence.
Ferick leaned forward eagerly, his hand already reaching for the docunts. "Perfect! Three days is—"
"Did you discuss this with ?"
Selene’s voice cut through, flat, hard, carrying edge that made even Ferick pause.
He turned to look at her, his expression shifting from greedy anticipation to irritation. "What?"
"Did you," Selene repeated, her green eyes boring into his, "discuss with before agreeing to hand her over?"
Ferick scoffed.
"Why would I need to?" He waved one hand dismissively. "It’s my decision. My right as—"
"She’s my daughter," Selene interrupted, her voice rising slightly despite her attempts at control.
Ferick’s expression went cold. Hard in ways that rarely erged except when his authority was challenged.
"She’s not your daughter."
The words hit like physical blow.
Selene flinched. Her breath caught in her throat.
Then fury ignited. Her green eyes blazed. "How dare you—"
"What are you looking at, you bitch?" Ferick leaned forward, his face flushing darker with anger. "She’s my daughter. My blood. My lineage. Not yours."
Each word was deliberate.
Selene’s teeth gritted so hard her jaw ached. "I raised her—"
"Did you birth her?" This ti, Lucius’s voice cut in, smooth, reasonable, utterly poisonous. "No."
He ticked points off on his fingers with casual precision.
"Did you feed her your milk during infancy? No. Does she carry your family na? No." He leaned back, his honey-gold eyes gleaming. "She just calls you ’mother’ rather than ’stepmother.’ Doesn’t an she share even one drop of your blood."
His smile widened.
"You’ve been a caretaker, Selene. Nothing more. An administrator managing soone else’s child while the actual parent made important decisions."
Ferick scoffed again, nodding along. "Exactly. Know your place. Just taking care of soone doesn’t make you their mother. She’s mine. I decide what happens to her. Not you."
Selene opened her mouth.
But before she could do anything else, her essence vanished.
Not slowly. Not gradually. Just... gone. Like soone had reached inside her core and switched it off. Her channels went empty. Her power disappeared. Everything that made her capable of resistance simply ceased.
Her eyes widened. Tracked to Lucius.
Who sat there with one hand raised slightly. His honey-gold eyes glowing faintly with power that dwarfed hers even at full strength.
"Please," he said quietly. Pleasantly. "Let’s keep this civil. No need for unfortunate displays. We’re all family here, after all."
The threat was implicit and clear.
"I can suppress you completely. Without effort. Don’t test ."
Selene glared at him despite the helplessness flooding her system. Despite knowing she was utterly outmatched.
Ferick reached for the docunts again, grinning. "Now, let’s make this official!"
Then—
Selene’s hand shot out. Grabbed the inkwell sitting on the tea service.
And hurled it.
SPLASH!
Black ink exploded across the table. Across the docunts. Across Ferick’s shirt and Lucius’s pristine jacket.
The carefully arranged papers beca illegible ss. Signatures impossible. The entire formal process ruined.
"Get out of my house!" Selene’s voice was raw. Furious. Breaking through every constraint of propriety and control. "You will not take her! You will not—"
CRACK!
Ferick’s hand moved faster than she expected. His palm connected with her face, hard, vicious slap that snapped her head to the side and sent her stumbling from her chair.
Pain exploded across her cheek. Her vision went white. She caught herself against the armrest, barely avoiding falling completely.
"What is the aning of this?!" Ferick roared, standing abruptly. His face was purple with rage. "You dare... you dare disrespect Lord Lucius?! Destroy docunts?! Act like so common s—"
He raised his hand again—
"That’s enough."
Lucius’s voice cut through. Not loud. Not aggressive. Just... absolute.
Ferick froze mid-motion. Lowered his hand slowly. His expression still furious but contained by hierarchical instinct that recognized superior authority.
Lucius stood gracefully, examining the ink stains on his jacket with mild distaste. "I see this discussion has beco... unproductive."
He looked at Selene, still half-collapsed against the chair, one hand pressed to her burning cheek, her green eyes blazing with hatred.
"I’ll send tomorrow so fresh docunts," he said calmly. "Perhaps by then, everyone will have... cald down. Rembered what’s truly at stake here."
His eyes held hers.
"Elina’s future. Her safety. Her potential." He smiled. "I’m sure, once you’ve had ti to reflect, you’ll understand that the my protection is in her best interest. Especially given your household’s recent... losses."
The emphasis on that last word was deliberate. Cruel.
Alaric is dead. Your household is weak. You have no power here.
Lucius turned toward the door, gesturing for Ferick to follow.
"Three days, Selene," he said over his shoulder. "Whether you sign or not, I’m taking her. My authority alone supersedes your objections. This courtesy, asking for signatures, maintaining formalities, is exactly that. Just courtesy. Not requirent."
He paused at the threshold.
"Don’t make this more difficult than necessary. For Elina’s sake."
Then he walked out. Ferick following behind after shooting Selene one last contemptuous glare.
The door closed.
Leaving Selene alone in the guest room, surrounded by spilled ink and ruined docunts and the burning imprint of her husband’s hand on her face.
She slid fully to the floor. Her back against the chair. One hand pressed to her throbbing cheek.
And stared at the ink-stained docunts scattered across the table.
Legal claim to her daughter.
Her daughter, blood relation or not, Elina was hers. She’d raised her. Loved her. Protected her. Been more mother than the woman who’d birthed her and died shortly after.
And now they were taking her.
Three days...
Three days until Lucius returned and claid Elina regardless of signatures or consent or anything Selene could do to stop him.
First Alaric. Now Elina. They’re taking everything. Everyone.
The tears ca again.
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