Roseline had always believed she was the one in control.
For years, she had carefully chosen her words, shaped every argument, redirected every conflict—convinced she could steer Hugo wherever she needed him to go. She thought she had learned how his mind worked, how to calm him, how to distract him, how to make him believe what she wanted him to believe.
She thought she had brainwashed him.
But now, standing in his office, watching the doubt harden in his eyes, Roseline realized she had been wrong.
Kathrine's confession had planted a seed. A single truth, spoken at the wrong time, had begun to rot everything from the inside out. And now Hugo wasn't just angry—he was suspicious.
Roseline swallowed, forcing herself to speak calmly.
"You're letting paranoia cloud your judgment," she said carefully. "You've been under pressure. Anyone would start seeing enemies where there are none."
Hugo didn't respond. He just stared at her, his gaze sharp, calculating.
