In Neor Empire.
Vivienne Neor swept into the room. Her piercing gaze immediately assessed the tension lingering in the air as her heels clicked against the polished marble floors. She was a woman of formidable presence, elegant but commanding, the kind of person who could silence a room with a single look. As her eyes fell on Cynthia, her expression shifted, a flicker of surprise and distaste crossing her face.
“Cynthia?” Vivienne’s voice was clipped, her gaze cold as she took in the woman standing beside her son. “When did you return?”
Cynthia’s face paled, the usual confidence in her demeanor fading under Vivienne’s stern scrutiny. She opened her mouth to speak, but Otthen cut in, his voice steady, controlled.
“Cynthia’s going through a difficult time, Mom,” he explained, casting a b
