"I shall attend shortly," Stephen dismissed the guard with a curt nod before turning back to Aurora, whose dazed expression had given way to quiet concern.
"Is everything all right?" she asked, a slight furrow forming between her brows.
"I will explain everything in due course," he replied, his tone softening. "For now, you should rest, you need it. Lady Esmeralda's funeral is to be held at dawn." Aurora gave a silent nod, her gaze lingering on Stephen as he exited the chamber, closing the door gently behind him.
Left alone, Aurora leaned back against the cushions, her mind restless. Emma's cryptic words echoed in her thoughts: My Family's killer.
What did she mean? A sudden chill gripped Aurora as a realization struck her—could the person who murdered Emma also be the one responsible for her family's deaths? If so, that would mean the culprit was here, within the palace walls. Her breath caught as she stared at the door Stephen had just walked through, her unease growing.
