EMILY'S POV
I started noticing the small things, the way Ralph's eyes flicked to my phone every time it buzzed. The way he appeared in doorways unexpectedly, always with a smile, always with a plausible reason. The way conversations shifted when I entered a room, staff members falling silent before greeting me warmly.
At first, I told myself I was being paranoid. The wedding stress, the photograph. Marco's discovery about Aethelgard. My mind was looking for monsters under every bed.
But the feeling wouldn't leave, It was on a Tuesday afternoon when I found it.
I had come back to the study to grab a report I'd forgotten. Ralph was supposed to be in a meeting across the city, the room was empty, quiet, sunlight streaming through the tall windows.
I walked to my desk and stopped. The dra
