Adelaide sat in her carriage, methodically sorting through stacks of documents with practiced efficiency. The evening sun filtered through the windows, casting shifting patterns across the papers in her lap. If anyone had witnessed her calm demeanor, they would never have guessed she had just watched her brother's execution mere minutes ago. But for Adelaide, family had always been more concept than reality – their deaths carried no more emotional weight than the closing of a disappointing business venture.
Her eyes lifted from her work to study Marcus, who sat across from her in uncharacteristic silence. Despite achieving a breakthrough that had elevated him to C-rank, he showed none of the enthusiasm one might expect. His shoulders remained tense, his gaze distant and troubled. She suspected Sebastian's final moments – that desperate plea for salvation – still haunted him.
