Sunlight filtered through the glass-paneled ceiling of the sunroom at the sprawling Roys estate, casting geometric shadows across a table laid with fine china and fresh fruit.
Elizabeth Roys took a slow, deliberate sip of her iced tea, her gaze resting on the manicured gardens outside. Across from her, Lana Roys carefully cut into a slice of melon, her bright eyes glinting with understated curiosity. Having been away on an extended tour across the southern provinces, Lana hadn't seen her cousin in months, but the high-society whispers had reached her long before her private jet touched down in Aurelia.
"So," Lana began, placing her fork down with a delicate click, "are you going to address the elephant currently trampling through every major media outlet in the city, or should I pretend I didn't see your face plastering every digital billboard from the airport to the estate?"
