Chapter 580

Charles's face remained as cold and resolute as ever, but Eleanor could swear she saw it—that fragile glimmer of unshed tears clinging stubbornly to the edges of his eyes. "Sorry..." The word slipped from her lips before she could stop it. Apologies weren’t her style. They never had been. But seeing her little brother like this—hurt and barely holding it together—made her want to reach across the growing silence between them and offer something, anything, that might ease his pain. The last thing she wanted was to be the reason he cried. Pursing her lips, Eleanor tilted her head slightly, studying him with a blend of exasperation and something far softer. "Don’t be upset, alright?" Charles turned toward her with a frosty glare, his eyes blazing with that familiar stubbornness. "Who’s upset?!" It was pure deflection. He was refusing to admit the obvious. Eleanor nodded, playing along. "Right. You're not upset." She didn’t press further. Pushing his buttons would only make things worse—an