Yves responded with a faint, bitter chuckle, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the room.
"Prove my loyalty?" he scoffed, "You didn't think I would be here to settle score with you after you killed my aunt, did you? But fine... let's put it all behind for now."
Gloria kept her composure. A glint of cunning light crossed her blue eyes as her lips almost twitched into a smirk.
Seeing this, the blond inhaled deeply, exhaling a sigh burdened with the unspoken struggles.
"Even with Eldrin Pierre gone, you still fear the council might elect Blair Anderson as the new Grand Viceroy. More than that, you fear the old man will use his power to crown his own son, Hugo Pierre, as the next Alpha Sovereign," he declared.
Leaning in, Yves continued in a hushed tone, "But as deserving as it may sound... I don't want this to happen."
The old woman's countenance betrayed a flicker of surprise before she composed herself with an air of quiet authority.
