Seren did not sleep that night.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Mara's calm smile. Not the kind of smile meant to comfort, but the kind meant to unsettle. A smile from someone who knew too much and feared too little.
Morning came slowly. Gray light slipped through the curtains, touching the walls like a warning. Seren sat up in bed, already tired. Her body ached in a way that had nothing to do with bruises and everything to do with stress.
Trust is a weapon.
The words stayed with her.
She dressed simply and stepped into the hallway. The mansion looked normal again on the surface, but Seren could feel the shift underneath. The staff avoided eye contact. Guards stood closer together. Doors that were usually open were now locked.
The Circle had not just crossed a line. They had drawn a map.
---
Alaric called for a meeting before breakfast.
The room was full. Too full. Men and women Seren had seen only once or twice before stood around the long table. Faces serious. Shoulders tense. No one spoke until Alaric did.
"Mara is not just a messenger," he said calmly. "She is a signal."
Seren sat near the end of the table, watching carefully.
"She was trained here," Alaric continued. "Years ago. Before most of you."
A quiet wave of reaction passed through the room. Some looked shocked. Others looked angry. A few looked afraid.
"You let one of them walk out," someone said.
Alaric's eyes moved to the speaker. "I let her believe she won."
Seren felt a chill. That was the problem with Alaric. You could never tell where the truth ended and the strategy began.
"They know our walls," Alaric said. "Our habits. Our weaknesses. Which means we change all of it."
He turned slightly, his gaze landing on Seren.
"And we stop pretending this is just business."
---
After the meeting, Seren followed Alaric into the study.
"You didn't tell me about her," Seren said.
Alaric didn't argue. He poured himself a glass of water and drank it slowly.
"I didn't think she would matter again," he said.
"She walked into your house like she owned it."
"Yes."
"And she knew me."
Alaric's jaw tightened. "That was not part of the plan."
Seren stepped closer. "Then tell me the truth. All of it. No more pieces."
Silence filled the room.
"You can't unlearn what you hear," Alaric said.
"I already crossed that point."
He studied her for a long moment. Then he nodded once.
"Mara was one of my best," he said. "Smart. Patient. Loyal. Until she wasn't."
"What happened?"
"She believed the Circle could be cleaner. Fairer. Less… ruthless."
Seren let out a dry laugh. "That's what they all say."
"Yes. And that belief made her dangerous."
Seren absorbed the words slowly. "And now she's back."
"Yes."
"And she came for me."
Alaric met her eyes. "Because you matter."
The words landed heavier than Seren expected.
---
Later that day, Seren received a message on her phone.
Unknown Number: You handled last night better than I thought.
Her fingers went cold.
Seren typed back slowly.
Seren: Breaking into my home is not a compliment.
Three dots appeared almost instantly.
Unknown Number: Neither is choosing the wrong side.
Seren locked the phone and slipped it into her pocket. Her heart was racing, but she forced her breathing to slow.
They were pushing her. Testing her reactions.
She would not give them what they wanted.
---
By evening, Alaric announced a public move. A charity gala. One that had been planned for months but now took on a new meaning.
"They expect us to hide," he said. "So we won't."
Seren understood immediately. Visibility was a shield. Sometimes.
The gala was loud. Bright. Full of people who smiled too much and listened too little. Seren wore a silver dress this time. Simple, but sharp. She stayed close to Alaric, watching the crowd instead of enjoying it.
She felt it before she saw it.
Eyes on her.
A woman near the bar. Dark hair. Calm posture. Not Mara. Someone else.
Seren excused herself and moved through the crowd slowly, casually. The woman noticed and turned away.
Seren followed.
They ended up near a quiet balcony overlooking the city.
"You don't blend well," Seren said softly.
The woman turned, surprised, then smiled. "Neither do you."
"Who sent you?"
"No one," the woman said. "I came to see you."
"That's not comforting."
"It's not meant to be."
The woman leaned against the railing. "You're becoming a problem."
"For who?"
"For everyone who prefers things simple."
Seren crossed her arms. "I don't care about their comfort."
"That's obvious," the woman said. "That's why you won't last long if you keep standing between Vale and the Circle."
Seren stepped closer. "I'm not standing between them. I'm choosing."
The woman studied her, then nodded slowly. "Good. Choices always have consequences."
"And threats don't scare me anymore."
The woman smiled. "They should."
She walked away, disappearing into the crowd before Seren could respond.
---
The gala ended without incident, but Seren knew better than to feel relieved.
Back at the mansion, she found Alaric in the study again.
"They're surrounding us," she said. "Not attacking. Watching."
"That's worse," he replied.
"They're trying to pull me apart."
"Yes."
Seren took a deep breath. "Then stop protecting me."
Alaric looked at her sharply.
"Teach me," Seren said. "Everything."
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Alaric nodded. "Once I start, there's no going back."
"I already didn't."
---
That night, Seren stood alone at her window, watching the city lights flicker below.
She had wanted revenge once. Simple. Clean. Personal.
Now she understood the truth.
Revenge was never just about the past.
It was about survival.
And the cost of knowing was learning that no one stays innocent forever.