#Chapter 86 – Off the Record

Lila The summons arrived just after breakfast. A folded parchment sealed in black wax, delivered by a silent steward who refused to meet my eyes. I didn’t need to open it to know who it was from. The weight of it pressed into my hands like a stone. Henry never requested. He summoned. And when he did, it meant something was already broken—or about to be. I stood in the center of my suite for a long moment after the steward left, the unopened letter still in my palm. My stomach tightened. I should have felt ready. But my father always had a way of slipping under the skin, no matter how many layers of armor I wore. I dressed carefully. Something formal enough to suggest composure. Casual enough to suggest I wasn’t there for a fight. The walk to the receiving room was silent, save for the echo of my footsteps and Ruby’s low growl just beneath my ribs. He doesn’t get to touch us anymore, she murmured. Remember that. I pressed her back gently. I’ll try. The room was col