(Ruby's POV)
The manor feels different when we return.
The walls are the same gray stone. The corridors are the same cold marble. But something has shifted. The air is thinner. The shadows are deeper. And everywhere I look, I see eyes that weren't watching before.
Nicholas's hand is on my lower back, his touch light but possessive. In public, we are still performing. The Beast and his broken bride. But beneath my skin, I feel the memory of last night like a secret fire.
Mrs. MacLeod meets us in the main hall. Her face is impassive, but her eyes flick to mine for just a moment. A question. An answer. I give her a small nod, and something in her shoulders loosens.
"Master Nicholas," she says. "The conservatory requires your attention. There's been an incident."
Nicholas tenses beside me. "What kind of incident?"
"A visitor. He arrived an hour ago. He refused to wait in the drawing room." Her voice is carefully neutral, but I hear the warning beneath. "He's been examining the orchids."
My blood runs cold.
Kai.
Nicholas's hand slides to my wrist, his grip firm. "Stay close to me. Don't speak unless I speak first. Don't react to anything he says."
I nod, my heart pounding. We've been preparing for this. We knew he would come. But knowing and facing are different things.
The conservatory doors are open. Warm, humid air spills out, carrying the scent of soil and blooms. I've spent so many hours in this room, tending my dying orchids, pretending to be small and scared. Now it feels like a stage, and the audience is waiting.
Kai is standing by the bench where I keep my tools. He's holding one of my mother's sketches. The one I thought I hid. The one that led us to the truth.
He looks up as we enter, and his smile is warm. Paternal. A mask so perfect it makes my stomach turn.
"Nicholas. Ruby." He sets the sketch down, spreading his arms wide. "I was hoping to catch you before you settled in. How was Edinburgh? The papers are full of your… dramatic exit."
Nicholas's voice is flat. "What do you want, Kai?"
"Want?" Kai's eyebrows rise. "I'm family. I'm checking on you. Is that a crime?"
"It's an intrusion."
Kai laughs, a soft, easy sound. "You always were dramatic, Nicholas. Even as a child. Your mother used to say—"
"Don't." Nicholas's voice cracks like ice. "Don't talk about her."
Kai's smile doesn't waver, but his eyes sharpen. "Of course. My apologies." He turns to me, and his gaze is like a scalpel. "Ruby, my dear. You look tired. Is my nephew taking care of you?"
I keep my eyes down, my shoulders hunched. The performance. The fear. "Yes, Mr. Vaughn."
"Kai, please. How many times must I ask?" He steps closer, and I feel Nicholas's hand tighten on my wrist. "I was so pleased to hear about the gala. A public appearance. A step toward normalcy. I've been worried about you both."
"We don't need your concern," Nicholas says.
"But you have it anyway." Kai picks up the sketch again, studying it. "Your mother was quite talented, Ruby. Elara had a gift for capturing the truth of a place. The bones beneath the skin."
My heart stops. He knows. He knows about the sketches. He knows about my mother. He knows about the cave.
"She's dead," I whisper, the words tasting like ash.
Kai tilts his head, his expression softening. "Is she? The papers say she disappeared. But papers can be wrong." He sets the sketch down, brushing dust from his hands. "I've always believed she was out there somewhere. Waiting. Watching." His eyes meet mine. "Hiding."
Nicholas steps between us, blocking Kai's gaze. "You've seen the conservatory. You've delivered your message. Now leave."
Kai's smile doesn't falter, but something cold passes behind his eyes. "I came to help, Nicholas. The foundation is concerned about your… stability. They've asked me to conduct a review. To ensure the Sterling assets are being managed properly."
"You have no authority—"
"I have all the authority I need." Kai pulls a document from his coat pocket, holding it out. "A court order. Signed this morning. I'm to have full access to the manor, the grounds, and all related records. Effective immediately."
The room spins. Nicholas takes the document, his face going pale. I watch his eyes move over the words, and I see the fury building beneath his skin.
"This is forged," he says quietly.
"Is it?" Kai's smile sharpens. "Take it to your lawyers. Fight it in court. By the time you get a hearing, I'll have found what I'm looking for." His gaze slides to me. "Or who."
The threat is clear. He's not here for the evidence. He's here for me. For my mother. For the truth he's been hunting for a decade.
Nicholas crumples the document, shoving it into his pocket. "Get out."
"Gladly." Kai moves toward the door, pausing beside me. He reaches out, touching my chin, tilting my face up. His fingers are cold. "You have your mother's eyes, Ruby. Such a shame. She wasted them on lost causes."
I force myself not to flinch. Not to pull away. "She saw the truth."
"Yes." His thumb brushes my jaw. "She did. And look where it got her."
He releases me and walks out of the conservatory, his footsteps echoing on the stone. The doors swing shut behind him, and the silence is deafening.
Nicholas pulls me into his arms, holding me tight. His body is shaking, his heart racing. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"
"No." My voice is steady, even though my hands are trembling. "He was warning us. Showing us what he can do."
"He's stalling. Buying time while he searches for the evidence." Nicholas pulls back, his eyes hard. "We move tonight. We go to Edinburgh, get the files, and head to Skye. We don't wait for Alexander. We don't wait for permission."
"And Liam?"
"Liam comes with us. He knows the facility. He can get us inside." Nicholas cups my face, his thumbs wiping tears I didn't know I was crying. "This is it, Ruby. The point of no return. Are you ready?"
I think of Mia, alone in that white room. I think of my mother, hiding in shadows, waiting for justice. I think of the man standing in front of me, who gave up everything to fight for something true.
"I'm ready."
He kisses me, quick and hard, and then we're moving. Through the conservatory, past the west wing, to the hidden room where the war will be won.