Her gaze stopped at Valerie's neck.
"It's beautiful," she murmured. "And it must be worth a great deal."
Valerie froze.
Not because she was tempted. Not because she hesitated.
But because, for a brief moment, she was genuinely stunned by how low the request was.
She lowered her head slightly, her fingers brushing the necklace at her throat. The gold chain felt cold against her skin, the small pendant catching the lamplight. A gift from the Duke. A symbol of recognition. And more than that an unspoken mark of possession.
Valerie lifted her head again.
Her gaze sharpened, no longer merely cold.
"Do you want to see my head severed by the Duke?" she asked flatly. "Just because I give away the necklace he gave me… to you?"
The air instantly grew taut.
"Do you truly think I'm that foolish?" Valerie continued, her voice calm, yet every word struck hard. "Or have you truly fallen so far as to lose all sense of shame?"
