Chapter 76

Chapter 76
Sloane's POV

The night before the exile, I couldn't sleep. My mind kept racing through everything that had happened, everything I still needed to do. Time was running out, and I had one last chance to get the truth from Nia before Eloise silenced her forever.

At around two in the morning, I slipped out of bed and changed into one of the servant uniforms I'd taken from the laundry. My heart was pounding as I made my way through the dark corridors toward Anna's quarters.

She answered my soft knock immediately, like she'd been waiting for me.

"Miss," she whispered, pulling me inside quickly. "What are you doing?"

"I need to go to the dungeons," I said. "Tonight. This is my last chance to talk to Nia."

Anna's face went white. "Miss, this is too dangerous. If you're discovered, you'll be in serious trouble too."

"Anna, I know you understand what's really happening here." My voice was firm.

She studied my face in the dim candlelight, then sighed heavily. "If you're determined to do this, I'm coming with you."

"No, it's too risky—"

"With respect, Miss, you don't know the layout of the dungeons. I do." Her expression was resolute. "And someone needs to keep watch."

I wanted to argue, but I knew she was right. "Thank you, Anna."

The journey to the dungeons felt like the longest walk of my life. We moved through the estate's lower levels, taking servant passages I didn't even know existed. Anna led the way with a small lantern, its flickering light casting eerie shadows on the stone walls.

The deeper we went, the colder and damper it became. Moss covered the ancient stone walls, and I could hear the scurrying of rats in the corners. The air was thick and stale, carrying the smell of decay and hopelessness.

"The dungeons are just ahead," Anna whispered, her voice barely audible.

My stomach churned as we descended the final set of stone steps. The flickering torchlight threw grotesque shadows on the walls, and I could hear water dripping somewhere in the distance.

When we reached Nia's cell, I was shocked by what I saw. She was sitting up against the wall, no longer the broken, beaten woman from yesterday. Someone had cleaned her wounds and given her fresh clothes. Her face had lost that desperate, haunted look, replaced by something that looked almost like... hope?

Someone's been here. Someone's been taking care of her.

"Anna, keep watch at the entrance," I said quietly. "Let me know if you hear anyone coming."

Anna nodded and positioned herself at the corridor entrance while I approached the cell bars.

Nia looked up at me with eyes that were alert and defiant. Gone was the terrified woman who'd taken the blame for everything just two days ago.

"Nia," I said, keeping my voice low but direct. "We need to talk. I know you understand more about what's really happening here than you've let on."

Her expression immediately hardened. "Miss Sophia, what are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."

"I know you have information about Eloise that could change everything," I continued, ignoring her deflection. "Particularly about what really happened when Saskia fell down those stairs ten years ago."

Nia's face went completely still, but I saw fear flash in her eyes before she could hide it.

"I can guarantee your family's safety," I said, stepping closer to the bars. "I have the power to get all of you far away from here, to give you a real chance at freedom and a new life."

For just a moment, I saw something flicker across her face. Temptation, maybe. The possibility of escape.

"But I need your help," I pressed on. "I need you to tell me the truth about what Eloise did back then."

Nia was quiet for a long time, staring at her hands. When she finally looked up, her expression had shifted to something cold and hostile.

"Miss Sophia," she said, her voice carefully controlled, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. I know Eloise and Zaid conspired to frame the real Sophia. I know they—"

"These are all your wild imaginings," Nia cut me off sharply. "You're making up stories to justify your own deceptions."

I felt frustration building in my chest. "Nia, listen to me. Eloise is not the person you think she is. She's going to—"

"Lady Eloise is the most kind-hearted person in this household," Nia said firmly, her voice getting stronger. "She would never harm anyone."

She's still defending her. Even after everything that had happened, after Eloise had thrown her to the wolves, Nia was still protecting her.

"She won't let us die on the exile journey," Nia continued, and for the first time, I heard genuine hope in her voice. "She cares about the people who serve this family faithfully."

My blood ran cold. She actually believes Eloise is going to save her.

"Nia, you're being used," I said desperately. "Eloise doesn't care about you or your family. She's planning to—"

"Enough!" Nia's voice rose, then she caught herself and lowered it again. "I won't listen to your attempts to turn me against Lady Eloise."

She stood up and moved closer to the bars, her eyes blazing with anger and suspicion.

"What I want to know is who you really are," she said coldly. "You show up here claiming to be Miss Sophia, but everything about you is wrong. You're trying to destroy the relationships in this family, trying to pit us against each other."

Her voice grew more hostile with each word. "I advise you to give up this ridiculous plan. Whatever game you're playing, it won't work."

I stared at her in shock. Despite everything, despite being beaten and thrown in a dungeon, Nia still believed in Eloise completely. The manipulation ran deeper than I'd realized.

"Nia," I tried one more time, my voice breaking with desperation, "you're being deceived! Eloise is not who you think she is. She's going to have you and your family killed during the exile to silence you permanently."

"Those so-called rescue attempts you're counting on? They're traps. She's setting up your deaths to look like accidents."

Nia turned her back to me, dismissing my words completely.

"I don't want to hear any more of your lies," she said firmly. "Please leave me alone. Don't come back here again."

The finality in her voice struck me hard. She wasn't going to listen. No matter what I said, no matter what evidence I might have, she was going to trust Eloise until the very end.

"Miss," Anna's urgent whisper came from the corridor entrance. "Someone's coming. We need to leave now."

I looked at Nia one last time, my heart breaking for this woman who couldn't see the truth even when it was right in front of her.

"Anna's right," she said softly, her voice filled with worry. "If you're caught here, things will only get worse for you."

"Maybe... maybe she needs to experience it herself before she'll understand the truth," Anna added gently.

I nodded, feeling defeated. There was nothing more I could do here.

As we hurried back through the dark corridors, my mind was racing with the implications of what I'd just witnessed. Nia wasn't just loyal to Eloise – she was completely under her spell. Even facing death, she couldn't see through the lies.

How many others are there like her? How deep does Eloise's influence go in this household?

When we finally made it back to my room, I collapsed into a chair, exhausted and frustrated.

"Miss," Anna said quietly, "I'm sorry that didn't go the way you hoped."

"She refuses to see the truth," I said, my voice tight with frustration. "Even now, she's still protecting Eloise."

Anna was quiet for a moment, then said, "Some people would rather believe a comforting lie than face a painful truth. Especially when they have children depending on them."

Tomorrow, Nia and her family would begin their journey to exile. And somewhere along that path, Eloise's plan would unfold. The key witness to everything that happened ten years ago would disappear forever, along with all the secrets she carried.

I can't let that happen.

It came to me suddenly. Even if Nia wouldn't talk now, she was still the only person besides Eloise and Zaid who knew what really happened when Saskia fell. If she died during the exile, I'd lose my best chance of ever proving the truth about Sophia's framing.

I need her alive, whether she wants to help me or not.

Alexander. He had the power and resources to ensure their safety during the journey, even without them knowing they were being protected. I needed to get word to him somehow, to make sure he had people watching over the exile escort.

Nia might refuse to be my ally now, but circumstances could change. If she ever realized the truth about Eloise, if she ever saw through the manipulation, she'd be invaluable. But only if she was still breathing.

I'll find a way to contact him, I decided. Nia may not want to help me now, but I need to keep that option open for the future.

The night was almost over, and soon the household would wake to begin Nia's final day at the estate. But I still had time to ensure the key witness to Sophia's destruction wouldn't be silenced forever.