Chapter 73

Sloane's POV

"Louis," I said softly. "Or should I call you Alex now? I need to ask a favor."

"Anything."

"There's a servant, Nia. She's been working for the Stewart family, and she was manipulated by Eloise into framing me. Juan's planning to exile her and her family to the northern territories, which is basically a death sentence." I looked up at him. "Could you have someone keep an eye on them? Make sure they don't die out there?"

"Of course," Alexander said without hesitation. "But why do you care about her specifically?"

"Because I think she might be useful later. If I can convince her to help me expose what Eloise has been doing, she could be the key to bringing her down."

Alexander nodded approvingly. "Smart. I'll arrange protection for her family immediately."

"And there's something else," I continued. "That couple who hurt me. What are you planning to do with them?"

"What would you like me to do with them?" Alexander's voice was low, but I could hear the barely controlled rage in it.

I thought for a moment. Part of me wanted them to suffer the way they'd made me suffer, but I also knew that direct revenge might cause more problems.

"I'll send them to one of Joe's private facilities," Alexander said suddly. "They'll be forced to do hard labor but will also be monitored. They'll be punished, but your identity will stay protected."

"Okay," I nodded in agreement. "They'll spend the rest of their lives paying for what they did to me and Sophia, but they won't be able to cause me any more trouble."

The sun was starting to set, painting the room in warm golden light. I knew our time was running out, but I didn't want this moment to end.

"When we're in public, I need to be careful," Alexander said reluctantly. "I can't show any special interest in you without putting you in danger."

"I understand," I said, even though it hurt. "We're strangers when other people are watching."

He pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. "My private number. If there's ever an emergency, if you're in real danger, call me immediately."

I memorized the number and tucked the paper away safely. "What about regular contact?"

"Too risky. We can't leave any trail that connects us." Alexander's expression was pained. "But I'll find ways to check on you. Discreetly."

The butler appeared in the doorway, giving us a polite but meaningful look.

"Time to go," Alexander said softly.

We stood up together, neither of us ready for this to be over.

"This isn't goodbye forever," he said, cupping my face in his hands one more time. "This is just... temporary."

"I know." I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him, trying to pour all my love and longing into that one moment. "I'll find a way to be strong enough to stand with you soon."

"And I'll find a way to make it safe for us to be together."

The ride back to the Stewart estate was completely different from the one that had brought me to Alexander. I wasn't nervous anymore, wasn't filled with unknown dread. Instead, I felt... settled. Complete in a way I hadn't since that night in the cave when everything fell apart.

I'm going to get stronger. I'm going to expose Eloise. Then I'm going to find my way back to him.

I made it back to my room without running into anyone, which was a relief. I needed a few minutes to compose myself before facing the family again.

I sat on the edge of my bed and allowed myself one more moment to think about Alexander's arms around me, about the way he'd said my real name like it was something precious.

Soon, I promised myself. Soon we'll be together for real.

But first, I had work to do.

I walked to my door and opened it, calling down the hallway. "Anna! Could you come here, please?"

A few minutes later Anna appeared.

"You needed something, Miss Sophia?"

I gestured for her to come fully into the room and close the door behind her. When we were alone, I gave her my most serious expression.

"Anna, I need to ask you some questions about Eloise."

Anna's eyes widened slightly, and I could see her mental guard going up immediately. This was dangerous territory, and we both knew it.

"What... what kind of questions?"

I studied her face carefully. Anna had been working in this house for years. She'd seen things, heard things. And after watching how quickly the other servants had turned on me during Victoria's accusation, I was pretty sure Anna was one of the few people here who might actually be trustworthy.

"The kind that might help me understand why she's been so determined to destroy me," I said quietly.

Anna was quiet for a long moment, clearly struggling with conflicting loyalties.

"Miss Sophia," she said finally, "some questions are better left unasked."

"And some truths are better brought to light," I replied. "Anna, I know you've worked here for a long time. I know you care about this family. But I also think you've seen things that don't sit right with you."

Anna's eyes flickered, and she said softly, "Miss... you're really very different now. Why are you doing this?"

I nodded, my voice calm: "I hope I can clear the name of the former Sophia."

I could see the internal battle playing out across her face.

"If you help me," I continued gently, "I promise I'll protect you. Whatever information you have, whatever you've seen, I'll make sure it can't come back to hurt you."

Anna looked at me for a long moment, and I could see her weighing her options. Trust the woman who might be an imposter, or stay silent and let whatever corruption she'd witnessed continue to fester.

Finally, she sighed and sat down in the chair across from me.

"What do you want to know?"