Chapter 13: A Cage of Secrets
Ravenswood Manor – Grand Hall
The massive doors of Ravenswood Manor creaked open.
Lucia stepped inside, her breath catching as her eyes swept over the grand entrance.
Dark wooden panels lined the towering walls, the flickering candlelight casting eerie shadows across the polished floor.
A place of power. Of wealth.
Yet, beneath its grandeur, something felt… unsettling.
Alexander walked ahead, his steps calm and sure.
She followed, her fingers grazing the hem of her dress as her nerves tightened.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(softly) Why bring me here?
Alexander stopped at the foot of the grand staircase and turned to her.
Duke Alexander Ravenswood / ML
Because if you wish to uncover the truth, this is the safest place for you.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
Safe? (whispers) Or a gilded cage?
Alexander’s lips curled slightly, as if he found her defiance amusing.
Duke Alexander Ravenswood / ML
That depends on you.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
...
Lucia’s fingers clenched.
The weight of uncertainty settled deep in her chest.
She had taken a risk coming here, stepping into the home of a man she barely knew.
Yet… something told her he held answers.
The question was, how much would he reveal?
A door creaked open from the hallway.
A man in his fifties, dressed in a formal tailcoat, stepped into the light.
His sharp gaze swept over Lucia before bowing slightly.
Butler
Your Grace. Shall I prepare the guest chambers?
A guest chamber. Not a cell.
Perhaps she wasn’t entirely a prisoner after all.
Duke Alexander Ravenswood / ML
(nodding) Yes, make sure she has everything she needs.
The butler bowed again before disappearing down the hall.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
What now?
Alexander took a step closer, his gaze unwavering.
Duke Alexander Ravenswood / ML
Now? (quietly) You rest.
Lucia opened her mouth to protest, but the exhaustion of the night caught up with her.
She had stolen into a ball. Been confronted.
Discovered that her family’s death wasn’t an accident.
In the Duke of Ravenswood’s home.
Caught in a game far more dangerous than she ever imagined.
Alexander took a step back, his voice calm but firm.
Duke Alexander Ravenswood / ML
We will talk in the morning, Lucia.
A command, not a request.
There was no escaping this now.
With one last glance at the enigmatic Duke, she turned and followed the butler down the dimly lit corridor.
She had stepped into a world of secrets.
And she had no choice but to play along.
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