Bella's POV
Their decision hit me like a physical blow, but I refused to crumble. Every fiber of my being rejected what they were proposing.
As the three council members moved toward the elevator, I darted forward and squeezed in beside them before the doors could close.
"This isn't right," I said, my voice sharper than I intended. "My children know me. They've never even met their fathers. You're talking about traumatizing them."
The trio barely acknowledged my protest. Lady Helena's expression remained as cold as marble, her aged features set in disapproval.
For someone her age, someone who had surely been a mother herself, her lack of compassion stunned me.
