The heavy wooden wheels of the carriage groaned as they rolled over the uneven cobblestones of the capital’s outskirts. Inside the plush interior, Liam sat nursing a collection of fresh bruises that painted his jaw in shades of deep indigo and violet. His breath was ragged, and his ribs ached with every jolt of the vehicle, yet his eyes remained sharply focused. Beside him, a large mother hen lay on the velvet seat, its wings and legs bound together with a complex web of twine that resembled an intricate piece of macabre art more than a simple restraint.
"Young Master, I am certain that Claire woman harbors ill intentions!" Wolf’s voice drifted in from the driver's seat, thick with resentment. "It is her divine blessing that you have taken an interest in her. For her to lay hands on you w
