The mansion seemed quieter than usual, though the silence felt more like the calm before a storm. Clara couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
It wasn't until lunchtime that her instincts proved right. Marcus received a tip-off about a mole within their ranks. One of their trusted men, Dmitri, had been caught passing information to Evelyn's people.
Benjamin's fury was unmatched. He interrogated Dmitri himself, the man's pleas for mercy echoing through the halls. Clara watched from a distance, her heart torn between fear and admiration. Benjamin's ruthlessness was a stark reminder of the world they lived in, yet she couldn't look away.
"He betrayed us, Clara," Benjamin said later that night, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "He put you in danger."
"And you dealt with it," she replied, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "But don't let this consume you, Benjamin. You're more than the darkness you fight against."
Her words were a balm to his soul, and for a moment, the shadows seemed less daunting.