Chapter 33: Betrayal Beneath the Surface

Lucas turned to me, his face dark and unreadable. "Now you see," he said, his tone almost villainous, "just how far the Ashfords will go to keep their power. And this," he gestured to the hallway, "is just the beginning. They've done far worse."

I swallowed hard, my hands shaking. Could this really be true? Could the family I married into be responsible for so much suffering? And if so, what did that make me?

He took a step closer, his eyes gleaming with a certainty that unsettled me. "The Ashfords have controlled people like us for too long," he continued, his voice steady and persuasive. "You've seen it firsthand, haven't you? How they use people—how they used you. They'll chew you up and spit you out, just like they've done with everyone else. But there's a way out."