In the grand capital estate of the Von Heim family, tension hung in the air like a blade suspended by silk.
The manor, an opulent maze of pristine white halls and high-vaulted ceilings, buzzed with nervous energy. Beneath its polished grandeur, unease simmered.
Dozens of members from the extended Von Heim family—nobles from the branch houses, minor lords and ladies, dignitaries with vested interests—had been summoned here.
Not just by Isolde herself, but with the authority of elven endorsement at her back.
This would be the first time Isolde showed her face to many of them since the incident. And they were ready—ready to unleash the storm brewing behind closed doors.
To them, Isolde was an outsider. She had not been born of Von Heim blood but had married into it from House Caldreth, a family infamous for their peculiarities and fearsome reputation.
