"Leaving so early?" Eleanor's voice, soft and laced with concern, drifted to him as he reached the door. "Is something wrong?" She approached him, her face a mask of innocent curiosity.
"Nothing, I'm just tired," Riley replied, forcing a smile. Eleanor adjusted his suit with a tender touch, her fingers brushing against his chest. Riley recoiled slightly, his expression faltering as he took a step back, pretending to check his watch.
Eleanor's smile wavered momentarily but remained intact. "Goodbye, then. Come home early."
Riley nodded, offering a final, strained smile before stepping into a carriage waiting outside. Eleanor watched him leave, her smile gradually fading as a troubling realization dawned on her. "I suspected this for a long time, but I couldn't prove it," she mused aloud, piecing together past observations. "He is not my brother!"
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