Chapter 199

199 Final

Mara

We woke early, refreshed from the night before. After showering and dressing, Lucian and I headed to breakfast. It had been uneventful lately without Martha’s usual dramatics. Honestly, I missed the chaos a little-it had its own rhythm. Still, the peace had been a blessing.

Vander hadn’t banned her from the table. She’d simply stopped coming.

So when we walked into the dining room and found Martha seated at the table, I froze.

She looked thin-shockingly so. Her face was gaunt, her posture stiff. She reeked faintly of alcohol, and her eyes were too bright, too wide. There was something off-not just physically, but emotionally.

Tiffany caught my eye and gave me a small smile. I returned it, but my attention drifted back to Martha immediately.