Chapter 39
~ Octavia ~
The drive back to the estate felt like a descent into a past I had already tried to bury.
As I stepped through the massive front doors, the staff greeted me with a warmth that felt both comforting and painful.
Olga, in particular, looked as though she might cry.
"You came," Frederick said, stepping forward to pull me into a hug.
"I'm only here because you asked me to be, Frederick," I whispered as we stepped apart.
I looked up and caught movement at the top of the grand staircase. Franklin was standing there, watching me.
For the first time in two years, his ice-blue eyes weren't cold or dismissive; they were dark, heavy, and strangely caressing.
"Octavia," he said. His voice lacked its usual jagged edge. "You're here."
"I am," I replied, my voice steady despite the hammering in my chest. "For your grandfather."
