Chapter 212

Chapter 212
Eleanor's POV

"Are you sure you want to talk to Eliza?" Sebastian asked, concern in his voice.

"I won't let her know that I know she's two-faced," I explained. "I just want to study her, see if I can pick up anything new."

Sebastian nodded, though he didn't look entirely convinced.

When we entered the dining room, everyone was already seated. Edward's eyes immediately found mine, his gaze hungry and yearning. I quickly looked away, unable to meet his stare.

"Good morning," I greeted everyone, trying to sound normal.

Sebastian pulled out my chair, his hand lingering protectively on my shoulder as I sat down.

"I missed dinner last night," Maggie remarked. "I was too tired and fell asleep."

"Me too," I admitted with a smile.

"Well, I had something to eat before bed," Natalie chimed in. "Couldn't miss dinner."

They always knew how to brighten my mood.

You reek of Levenston, Maggie linked to me, her mental voice teasing. Poor Edward and Killian.

I suppressed a smile and reached for the food. Everything smelled amazing, and as soon as Sebastian filled my plate, I began eating eagerly.

"What's the plan for today?" Benedict asked, addressing the table at large.

I noticed Elton Riddick shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He looked troubled, and I guessed he'd heard about Juliet.

"Vance is bringing his sister in," Elton said quietly, confirming my suspicion. "She's been arrested." He looked directly at me. "We had nothing to do with the poisoning, I swear it. Please, spare my son and nephew."

"Poisoning?" Edward's voice was sharp with shock. His hand trembled slightly, and I remembered how protective he'd always been of me. "Someone poisoned you at the Riddick home?"

I nodded, not elaborating. Everyone had heard Lyric's recorded confession, but Lyric and I hadn't specifically discussed the poisoning incident.

"You offered need help," Edward snapped at Elton, anger flooding his face. "I helped your people, and they tried to poison Eleanor?"

"Edward, let it go," I said firmly. "Juliet acted alone."

"Is this true?" Killian demanded, turning to Elton.

I tried to ease the tension. "I think Juliet was just angry that Sebastian didn't choose her at the ball."

Maggie and Natalie gave small laughs, but no one else joined in. The atmosphere remained awkward.

"We should focus on our plan for today," Sebastian interjected smoothly, redirecting the conversation.

Benedict cleared his throat, and the mood in the room shifted slightly. "Yes, the arrests. How are we coordinating them?"

"My Beta will handle the Fireland arrests," Killian stated. "They've been briefed."

"Quinn and Maddox will handle ours with Joel's help," Edward added. "They're furious about this. Many of our targets will be at the Clifflands tournament in Goldenvale."

"I propose we work together in Goldenvale," Sebastian suggested. "We can make our move tomorrow night while they're sleeping. Samuel has arranged for the Elder Council's prison cells to be prepared."

"Will the Elder Council accept this?" Benedict asked, looking between the Alphas.

"They have no choice," Killian explained, leaning forward. "What we're installing here is a King with all the power. The Elder Council won't have authority to interfere. Once the five of us agree – me, Edward, you, Samuel, and Ulysses – the Elder Council will have to accept it."

"What about Sebastian Holbrooke?" Natalie asked. "This will diminish his power."

"Sebastian's opinion doesn't matter," Edward replied bluntly. "The Holbrooke family isn't originally from Clifflands. They were elevated to nobility by the previous Alpha King. Sebastian should consider himself lucky he's not being exiled. His late aunt is on the list."

"Helena occupied the Ashford seat," Samuel clarified. "Her actions reflect on the Ashfords, not the Holbrookes."

"I'll be abolishing the law that punishes families for individual crimes," Sebastian announced. "We've learned that no one can control the actions of every family member. It's wrong to hold an entire family accountable for one person's mistakes."

Killian laughed. "You have to, or Benedict and Samuel would be in trouble because of Qiana and Brynn. Those two were idiots for wanting seats on the Council." He shook his head. "I don't understand what these people were thinking. Why would they want Elder Council seats? They're already nobility. So stupid."

Everyone nodded and laughed in agreement. Killian was right, Sebastian had no choice but to abolish the law. And Qiana and Brynn had been foolish to get involved in this mess.

After breakfast, Maggie, Natalie, and I were the first to leave the dining room. I wanted to avoid Edward before my conversation with Claire. Keeping busy seemed like the best way to do that.

"I need to speak with Claire first," I told my friends as we walked down the corridor.

"Eleanor!" Edward's voice called from behind me.

I froze in my tracks, my heart suddenly racing.

I turned at the sound of approaching footsteps and my breath caught when I saw Edward walking toward me. His eyes found mine immediately, that familiar gaze that once meant everything to me.

"Looks like your ex-husband wants to talk to you," Maggie whispered, nudging me with her elbow. Her eyes danced with mischief.

Natalie smirked beside her. "You've been avoiding him since he arrived. Time to face your problems, Eleanor. We've all faced ours."

"I haven't been avoiding—" I started to protest, but the knowing looks on both their faces stopped me. Fine, maybe I had been.

Maggie laughed, a musical sound that drew Edward's attention momentarily. "Good luck," she sang, already backing away. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That leaves her a lot of options," Natalie added with a wink before they both turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the hallway before I could respond.

Traitors. They were absolutely right, of course. I had been avoiding Edward since his arrival, uncertain how to face the man who had once been my entire world.

Edward approached cautiously, his steps measured as if approaching a skittish animal. "Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," I replied, my voice equally quiet.

He sighed, "Can we talk? Somewhere private?" His eyes darted around the hallway. "It won't take long, I promise."

I nodded.

"Sebastian said we could be friends," Edward continued, his voice low. "He respects what we had... what we were to each other. He trusts you."

A small smile tugged at my lips. That sounded like Sebastian, confident enough in our bond to not feel threatened by my past. "We can use his rest room. It should be empty now."

I led him to Sebastian's private rest room, a comfortable space with plush sofas and a view of the gardens. I sat on one of the sofas, and Edward chose the adjacent one, close enough for conversation but maintaining a respectful distance.

The silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable. Edward finally broke it with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice trembling slightly.