Grace walked back from the meeting with Irene and Luca beside her, her expression calm, serene even. The mask she'd worn for weeks was now settling comfortably over frustration she refused to show.
That didn't go how it should have.
The accusation hadn't been perfect of course. Cole's anger, Darius's calm testimony, the timing, the setting – all designed to create uncertainty.
It wasn't perfect, but it should have been more than enough for someone like Ronan Ashbourne to handle.
Instead, Ronan had turned it around rather easily.
Irene broke the silence first. "Did it fail?"
Grace didn't respond immediately. She walked steadily, hands folded loosely in front of her as she fixed her gaze ahead.
"No," she said finally. "It did what it was meant to do."
Irene's brow furrowed. "Cole and Darius accused him directly. Class B didn't turn on him."
"The accusation was never meant to destroy him immediately." Grace's tone remained gentle, thoughtful.
