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La Dama de la Finca Ashford engsubtitle fullepisode🌸🎉 Crimson Lies
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00:00My half-sister and I both chose a shifter mate.
00:03In our previous life, she picked first and chose the Hawk clan heir with the perfect looks and
00:07powerful family background. She left me the lowly serpent. Three years into her marriage,
00:13the Hawk shifter's mistress and illegitimate son knelt before my sister and humiliated her
00:19completely. Meanwhile, I took control of the entire serpent clan and earned my husband's devotion.
00:25She pushed me off a cliff out of jealousy. When I opened my arms, I was back on the day
00:29we chose
00:30our mates. My sister barely concealed the excitement in her voice as she rushed to wrap her arms around
00:35the serpent's tail. I knew then that she had been reborn too. The serpent clan are lustful by nature.
00:41I wonder how long she'll last. When Victoria threw her arms around that serpent tail, face flushed with
00:47open adoration, even Lady Hargrove went still. Everyone knew the serpent clan was considered
00:52the lowest of the shifter races. Cold-blooded in every sense. The Hawk clan, by contrast,
00:58mated for life. One wife, no exceptions. Loyalty written into their bones. And the Hawk male,
01:04standing in the room today, was the future clan leader. Sharp-eyed, broad-shouldered, the kind of
01:10man every woman in the room had been silently hoping to catch. Victoria still wouldn't let go of that tail.
01:16Lady Hargrove's expression curdled. She'd brought the serpent here specifically to humiliate me.
01:21She hadn't planned on her own daughter falling for it. Are you sure about this?
01:26Mother, he's the only one I'll ever marry. Even the serpent turned to look at her. His tail coiled
01:31hard around her waist, pulling her tight against his chest. That was what a serpent did when he felt
01:36something. The beginning of desire. Victoria's face went scarlet. Her resolve locked into place. Lady
01:42Hargrove pressed her lips together and gave in. With that settled, the Hawk male, Adrian Ashford,
01:47turned to me. He dipped his head in a slight, unhurried bow. Then it's you, Miss Alara. I'll send
01:54the betrothal gifts tomorrow. In my past life, it was Victoria who had chosen Adrian. She'd walked
02:00into the Ashford estate as its new mistress, draped in the prestige of the most powerful Hawk family in
02:05the region. He seemed devoted on the surface. Three years of polished appearances. Then, a woman appeared
02:11at the gate with his 10-year-old son. Victoria came apart. She ran home to her mother, dignity in
02:17pieces.
02:17But Adrian had spent years building his reputation carefully. He brought the woman and boy home
02:22under the excuse of a drunken mistake. And to protect the Hawk clan's tradition against taking a
02:27second wife, he divorced Victoria outright. Lady Hargrove marched back to the Ashford estate to demand
02:32answers. The mistress met them at the door, chin lifted. I'm Mrs. Ashford now. My son has awakened his
02:39abilities. What exactly are you going to do about that? Give it time. I'll be the clan leader's wife,
02:45then his mother. They were thrown out publicly. After that, Victoria unraveled. She sat in the courtyard
02:50every day, vacant and muttering. When someone passed close enough, she grabbed their leg with both hands,
02:56her face twisting. I'm the clan leader's wife. I am. I am. She never came back from it. My serpent
03:04husband, by contrast, had been born into nothing. But he dismissed every one of his kept women. He
03:10trained relentlessly and built his clan up from scraps. People said I'd made the better choice,
03:14after all. Even Lady Hargrove, who had never bothered to hide her contempt for me, started showing up at my
03:20door with smiles she didn't mean, asking me to visit. Then Victoria had one of her lucid moments. She lured
03:28me
03:28to the edge of the cliff. I'll drag you down to hell with me. Her eyes opened for hatred as
03:34she shoved me
03:35over. Now she's chosen my husband instead. I wonder if she can handle the serpent's excessive affection.
03:42The Ashford betrothal gifts arrived quickly. They filled half the courtyard. Victoria didn't spare a
03:47glance for the serpent clan's meager offering. She sweet-talked Lady Hargrove into patting her trousseau
03:52until it groaned. Ivy told me that Victoria and her serpent had been meeting in secret. Someone had spotted
03:58them coming out of an alley together, clothes barely clinging to them, her face still flushed.
04:03Half the street had seen it. She came to me the same afternoon, brimming. My fiancé loves me. What
04:10does that have to do with you? This is just how he shows his love for me. And if you
04:16say a single
04:16word to mother about any of it, I'll make your life miserable. I just watched her go. She looked
04:22nothing like the girl she used to be. The softness was gone. Whatever innocence had been in her face,
04:28had been thoroughly used up. On our wedding day, two wedding horse carriage left the estate together.
04:33Drums, horns, the whole performance. Adrian Ashford sat high on a pale horse in his wedding white,
04:39all clean lines and devastating bone structure, looking exactly like someone who knew it. I knew
04:45why he'd gone through with this. The matriarch once said to him, you are the only heir. You must marry
04:50a
04:50noblewoman to continue the bloodline. That was the only condition for me to inherit the clan leadership.
04:55But his mistress was low-born, ineligible. He needed a proper wife. If she gave him a son first,
05:01better. Either way, he didn't lose. I set down my wedding bouquet. Two familiar figures had appeared
05:06at the side of the road. The boy lunged toward Adrian's horse. The word was barely out before a
05:11beautiful woman yanked him back and smothered his mouth with her hand. Forgive us, everyone. My son
05:16misses his father. He got confused. He didn't mean anything by it. Adrian pulled his reins top. He
05:23exhaled once. Today is my wedding. Can't you keep your child in hand? If he'd startled the horse
05:28carriage, I'd have had all your heads. Get them out of here. The woman's face went white. She bit her
05:34lip and stepped back. I'm so sorry. We're leaving. I wasn't about to let this dissolve quietly. Husband,
05:41don't be so hard on them. The child didn't mean any harm. And today is a happy occasion. Why not
05:47do
05:47a good deed? I actually need another servant woman as my side. If she's willing, she could come along
05:52with us. This woman had one obsession, becoming Mrs. Ashford. Now that Adrian had taken a wife,
05:58she was already fraying at the edges. One of my people needed barely three sentences to maneuver
06:03her into showing up here today. If I offered her a door to the estate, she'd walk through it without
06:08thinking. She hesitated for half a breath, then looked away from Adrian's sharp,
06:12warning stare. Thank you, ma'am. The carriage rolled on. She followed behind,
06:16boy in hand. The crowd murmured approvingly along the route. The new Mrs. Ashford is something else.
06:22Even after that scene, she finds them a position. Must run in the family. The Ashfords are good people.
06:29After the ceremony, I sat at my vanity and began fixing my hair. Ivy dismissed the others and shut the
06:34door, her face barely holding its composure. Ma'am, the master just had a servant quietly move that
06:40woman and boy into the side courtyard. I wasn't surprised. Ma'am, the Hawk Clan has rules against
06:46taking a second wife, and he's doing this on your wedding night. We could expose him right now. Go back
06:52to your family. End this before it starts. Calm down. I didn't come here to lose to a kept woman.
06:57I had no family worth running back to. No mother, no father who would take my side against the Ashfords.
07:02I'd walk through that gate as a piece on someone else's board. If I walked back out,
07:07I'd be spit on from every direction. I hadn't come all this way for nothing. What I wanted was the
07:13Ashford estate itself. Adrian could rot on the inside. I didn't need him to be good. I needed him
07:20to give me an air. A knock at the door. I smiled at Ivy. My leverage just arrived. Adrian was
07:26drunk,
07:27but gracefully so. His steps wandered a little. It did nothing to make him less attractive.
07:31Ivy moved to steady him. He shrugged her off. I only want my wife. I swallowed the contempt rising in
07:37my chest and sent Ivy out. He played the part of a restrained gentleman, even when he was half gone.
07:43I had to admire the consistency. I took his arm. You've had too much. Should I have the kitchen
07:49send sobering soup? The kitchen sat close to the side courtyard. At this hour, they'd probably be
07:54preparing food for his little family. Adrian's shoulders went rigid. Then his hand caught mine. He buried his
08:00face against my shoulder. No. This is our wedding night. Don't leave. He let out a slow breath and
08:07lifted me. I looped my arms around his neck. In my past life, Adrian had used drunkenness as an excuse
08:13to avoid Victoria's wedding bed entirely. She'd had to fight for three months before he relented,
08:19and only after she humiliated herself back into his good graces. If this was going to happen
08:24eventually, I'd rather it happen on my terms and in my time. I let myself go still. Let my body
08:31stop
08:31resisting. Adrian's voice dropped. Whatever restraint he'd been maintaining came loose. The candles burned
08:38down to nothing before the room went quiet. I was too exhausted to move a finger. I passed out where
08:43I lay.
08:44He was the one who cleaned me up afterward. We were late for the morning tea ceremony. The matriarch was
08:49good-natured about it. She directed her mild scolding at Adrian, who was leaning back in his chair, looking
08:53thoroughly satisfied, in a generous mood for once. He cut her off to defend me before she could finish.
08:58We had a boke you missed me. My fault entirely. I kept her up and told the staff not to
09:04wake her.
09:05Don't blame her mother. My face burned. The matriarch laughed. She took the tea I offered with both hands.
09:10I knew I liked you the moment I saw you. I was half afraid they'd send that other girl. Luckily,
09:15she made a fool of herself so we could have the better bargain. You're the lady of this house now.
09:19These belong to you. There's no rush and nothing to be afraid of. If you need guidance, come to me.
09:25I kept my hands steady as I accepted them. With those keys, no one in this estate could question
09:29my standing. No one could use my birth against me. In my past life, as a wife in the Serpent
09:35clan,
09:35I'd had to claw my way through sisters-in-law who outranked me by blood and never found them.
09:41It had taken months of careful maneuvering just to find my footing. That was behind me now. The
09:46matriarch saw my expression shift. She sighed softly and took the necklace off her own neck,
09:51placing it onto mine. This child has suffered enough.
09:54You treat her well from here on. I mean it. Adrian blinked. He looked at my slightly reddened
09:59eyes and almost without meaning to, nodded. On the way back from the matriarch's rooms,
10:02I walked half a step behind Adrian, already thinking through which accounts to look at first.
10:06He spoke without turning around. What do you plan to do about that woman and the boy?
10:09And tucked my hand into the crook of his arm. I didn't realize you were so concerned about them.
10:13Isn't that sweet of you? He avoided my eyes. I just feel sorry for them. A widow with a child.
10:19Perhaps they could work in the outer courtyard, do some light tasks. The outer courtyard was full of
10:23staff. No one would track a woman's particular history there. Adrian would find ways to meet with
10:27her in private, use the crowd as cover. I exhaled slowly, as if thinking it through.
10:30A pretty woman with a child alone people might take advantage. You really haven't thought this
10:35through, have you? What if we put them somewhere quieter? Near the garden behind the study.
10:40Adrian's brow tightened, almost imperceptibly. A long pause. Then his face settled into something
10:44soft. Good thinking. There's a small room off the study anyway. They can stay there.
10:49How thoughtful of you. I smiled. My nails were nearly through my palm. The study. He'd have every
10:53excuse to be near her. And the boy. He'd be able to teach him in private. Pass him what he
10:57needed to
10:58awaken properly. Adrian didn't notice. The careful coldness he usually wore had softened around the
11:02edges. In a few years, when our child comes, I'll make sure they have the best of everything.
11:06I leaned against him. The passing maids whispered to each other. The master and mistress. So in love.
11:12Rosalind heard it too. That same night she went to find Adrian, and he turned her away at the door.
11:17Three nights in a row he came to my room instead. He was decent enough to read the room. He
11:21didn't push past
11:22what I could manage. The day we returned to visit my family home, Victoria didn't arrive until almost
11:32noon. She swept into the room, blowing, cheeks high with color, trailing a thick cloud of powder
11:37and perfume. Lady Hargrove stared at her for a long moment. Don't fuss, mother. My husband spoils me.
11:42Very restorative herbs. She straightened, and I noticed that her figure had changed. Filled out in a way that
11:48read less like health and more like something under strain. She looked at me. Your husband runs cold,
11:53I hear. If he's distant with you, that's just how it goes. Don't take it personally. I said nothing.
11:59I took my time looking at her. She seemed bright on the surface, but her steps were unsteady. She kept
12:03touching her lower back without realizing it. That kind of bloom didn't come from nourishment. It came
12:06from something taking more than a little. The serpent was greedy. When she noticed I wasn't reacting,
12:11something dark moved through her. She reached for me the way she used to when we were younger. To grab
12:15and drag.
12:16Adrian walked in. There was a smile in his eyes as he spoke to me gently.
12:19Laura, I just came from the room you used to live in. Victoria's hand froze in mid-air. She stared
12:27at Adrian in shock, stunned by how different he was from the man in our previous life.
12:34How is this possible? Lady Hargrove's expression folded. They both knew. The room I'd been given in
12:39this house was barely a storeroom. The dishes had chips in them. Lady Hargrove laughed awkwardly and cut him off.
12:44Now that everyone's here, why don't we sit down for lunch? She looked at me. It was almost a plea.
12:49Once,
12:49when my birth mother had a bad fever and I'd gone to beg for a doctor, I'd knelt in the
12:53courtyard in
12:54the snow. The snow piled up on my shoulders while Lady Hargrove and Victoria stayed warm inside,
12:59laughing at something I couldn't hear. She finally came out when I nearly passed out. Get the doctor.
13:04Don't let her die in my yard. It's bad luck. The doctor came. He kept my mother alive a little
13:08longer. I held
13:09her hand and sobbed until I couldn't breathe anymore. Keep going. No matter how hard it gets,
13:15don't give up. I never got to go back to her. By the time I was reborn, she was already
13:20gone. I smoothed
13:21the front of my dress and stood up. Husband, let's eat. The table, Victoria and the serpent fed each
13:26other and giggled like they were alone in the room. She shot me looks every few minutes, daring me to
13:30react.
13:30Lady Hargrove could see something was wrong. She kept trying to quietly reel Victoria in. Victoria snapped
13:35back loud enough for the table to hear. My husband loves me. Am I supposed to be ashamed of that?
13:43Should I live like I'm already a widow? The moment the meal was over, she dragged him out the door.
13:49Adrian and I didn't linger long after that. When we got back to the main hall of the Ashford estate,
13:53I found Rosalind crouched beside the matriarch, kneading her shoulders with practiced hands. The
13:58matriarch had her eyes half closed, looking more comfortable than I'd seen her in days.
14:05Rosalind, you have such skilled hands.
14:11Come do this for me often.
14:16I didn't realize she'd caught your eye. She came in with us on the wedding day.
14:22Quite a hard life raising a child alone. I've tried to look out for her.
14:26I know what kind of heart you have. The Ashfords are lucky to have you.
14:31Rosalind stepped back, her teeth pressed into her lip. The matriarch and I moved naturally into
14:37conversation about the estate, the accounts, a few household matters that needed settling.
14:42When something important came up, the matriarch waved Rosalind out of the room without thinking
14:47about it. I watched the hatred pool behind Rosalind's eyes as she left.
14:51Over the days that followed, Rosalind pushed hard for the matriarch's favor, massaged every ache,
14:57laughed at every small joke. It worked. The matriarch grew genuinely fond of her and
15:02started giving her gifts.
15:03Master Adrian says be careful, don't draw attention.
15:05He was so frustrated, he stopped seeing her altogether and started conducting estate business
15:10from my room instead.
15:13I was deep into the Ashford accounts. Shops, properties, land deeds. The full picture of what
15:19this family actually owned. It was substantial and deliberately tangled. Once I understood it,
15:25I called in the shop managers. They came in uncertain, squinting. Then they read the room,
15:30new wife, asserting herself. A few of them visibly relaxed into condescension. I let them
15:35sit with that for a moment. I finished my tea. The matriarch has placed all Ashfield business in my
15:40hands. I'm not going to waste her trust. I've been reviewing the last three months of records.
15:46I've already noted the discrepancies. I set down my cup. Ivy laid the ledgers open. A small personal
15:53notebook slipped out, filled with my annotations. Some of the managers exchanged glances. The ones
15:58with nothing to hide sat straight. The ones who didn't went pale. I looked at Ivy. She picked up the
16:03notebook and dropped it into the fire. New management. Old accounts are closed. But I have no tolerance for
16:13what comes next. I trust everyone understands that. Yes ma'am. The estate's internal structure wasn't
16:20enough. Real power in the Hawk clan ran through these shops. These trade networks. The money that
16:26had kept the family elevated for generations. They needed the root. I came home late, satisfied.
16:33In the courtyard, I stopped. Rosalyn was crouched beside her boy, face lit with joy. Adrian stood nearby,
16:39watching them with a small smile. I moved before I'd finished thinking. I walked over and took Adrian's
16:45hand. What's happened? The boy. His abilities came in. A smile dropped off my face. In my past life,
16:56this had happened three years later. Right before they entered the estate. Not now. Not this early.
17:02Aren't you something? Abilities at your age. Giving your mother so much to be proud of. You'd better take
17:09good care of her when you grow up. You're the bad woman who stole my dad! I'm so sorry ma
17:17'am. I've spoiled him terribly.
17:19He doesn't know what he's saying. He really is spoiled. Speaking to his beauties this way is a
17:24serious breach. Per estate rules, he kneels in the courtyard for two hours. Rosalyn's color drained.
17:30She looked instinctively at Adrian. Adrian's brow pulled together. He's only a child. This is excessive.
17:36Let it go. If a child has no father to correct him, the mother answers for it. Or have I
17:42lost even
17:43that much authority in my own home? Is a servant woman more important to you than your wife? He closed
17:49his
17:49mouth. Rosalyn grabbed my sleeve. Her face was wet. I don't matter, but I'm due at the matriarch's,
17:56and if I'm late, she'll be displeased. I laughed once, short and cold, and had a chair brought out
18:02to the courtyard. How bold. A woman brought in off the street is lecturing me in my own house.
18:07Someone go ask the matriarch if she'd weigh in on a servant who just spoke down to the estate's
18:11mistress. You're going too far. The boy didn't mean anything. Rosalyn stood just behind his shoulder.
18:17She reached out and curled her fingers gently around his sleeve. The three of them, together
18:21in the moonlight, they looked like a family portrait. Adrian was trembling with anger. He
18:26grabbed Rosalyn and the boy and started to walk them away. Ivy was faster. The matriarch says he
18:30kneels three hours and cut off their meals and move them to the servant storage room for the night.
18:34I looked at Adrian. Well, I left before he could answer. Adrian wouldn't defy the matriarch. The clan
18:41leadership still hadn't been formally transferred, and the matriarch said little, but punished any
18:46disobedience. Even Adrian knew better than to cross her. That was why I had spent every effort
18:51from the beginning making the matriarch love me. That night, Adrian didn't come to my room. He sent
18:57a servant boy with a message. He'd be sleeping in the study. Ivy didn't take it well. The study.
19:03Right. She paced the length of the room, voice rising. Before the wedding, I actually thought
19:07you'd finally caught a break, miss. A decent man for once. Turns out he's just another wolf in silk.
19:13She caught herself. A hawk. Whatever. Same thing. I sat at the desk. Ledger open in front of me.
19:18Perfectly calm. Adrian was a predator. Fine. Then I'd be the still water he didn't notice until he was
19:25already drowning in it. By the following morning, it was everywhere. Adrian Ashford kept a mistress.
19:32The boy was seven years old. No one knew where the information came from, but the woman's name,
19:38her background, her address, the boy's face, and description had all surfaced with the kind of
19:43precision that suggested someone very organized had done the releasing. Adrian's years of carefully
19:48maintained reputation collapsed in a single day. Within the hawk clan, doors that had been open
19:54quietly shut. Victoria sent a letter. It said I'd be divorced within the year, and when I was out on
20:00the
20:00street, I shouldn't come crawling to her. I set it down on the corner of the desk.
20:06Ivy mentioned, almost as an aside, that Victoria had been passing out in bed. That several doctors
20:12had told the serpent in plain terms that they needed to stop. That neither of them had listened.
20:19Victoria was swallowing expensive tonics by the handful just to keep upright, while the serpent was
20:26looking sharper and more energetic every week. His abilities growing stronger. I'd figured this out
20:34in my past life, stumbled onto it late. The serpent clan could only train and advance if the physical
20:40appetite was fed. Without that release, their cultivation stalled. With it, they drained whoever
20:47was closest to them. In that life, when I finally understood, I'd spent a sleepless night deciding what to
20:54do. And then I'd done the only thing that made sense. I found a doctor, confirmed it wouldn't
21:01block his ability to train, and introduced something into a gift from one of my sisters-in-law. A substance
21:07that made him permanently unable to function that way. He found out. Eventually, I cried until I couldn't
21:15breathe and told him that sister-in-law had been plotting against him for months. That she'd wanted to
21:21destroy him. That I'd only just discovered it myself. He checked. Everything I said was true,
21:28because I had made sure it would be true. After that, he dismissed the kept women, stopped visiting
21:35other beds, and trained with a focus he hadn't had before. He treated me like something worth keeping.
21:42Victoria didn't have that knowledge. She'd decided the serpent was simply devoted to her,
21:47and she'd locked herself inside that story. I wondered how much longer her body could hold.
21:53Adrienne's voice came through the door, strained and urgent.
21:56Madam, please, you have to believe me. That boy has nothing to do with me.
22:03Ivy opened her mouth. I let her go. She told him exactly what she thought of him,
22:08in considerable detail, for several minutes. He didn't fight back. He knew he had no ground to stand on.
22:14When she finally ran out of breath, I walked out. Madam, you believe me, don't you?
22:21The matriarch came through the courtyard gate behind him. She had her walking stick in hand.
22:27She brought it down across his back until blood showed through the fabric. Then she stopped. Her eyes
22:33were wet when she looked at me. My child, this family owes you an apology. She exhaled.
22:41I know you've been wronged. But the clan is pushing to have this one thrown out entirely,
22:46and I'm running out of ways to argue against it. Write him a letter of divorce. The Ashfords will
22:53take care of you. You have my word. I let my eyes go soft. I lowered my head and pressed
22:59one hand
23:00gently to my stomach. My voice came out barely above a whisper. But I'm carrying his child. Are you
23:06asking me to leave with a baby? Both of them went completely still. Adrian stared at my hand
23:13against my stomach. The color left his face. I'm sorry. His voice cracked. I'm so sorry.
23:20The matriarch needed a breath to decide. Get that woman and her boy off this property immediately.
23:27The Ashfords family has one mistress of this house, and the child she's carrying is the only heir I'll
23:34recognize. I turned my face into the matriarch's shoulder and let myself cry. I thought you didn't
23:40want me anymore. None of it touched me inside. This was what had needed to happen. Adrian had just lost
23:48any path to the clan leadership through that boy. Without the matriarch's recognition, Rosalyn and her
23:55son were nothing. All the groundwork I'd laid had just closed around them like a door. In the corner where
24:02no one was looking, something in me smiled. Rosalyn and the boy stood at the estate gate for half the
24:09day. She screamed every promise Adrian had made. The people passing stopped and listened with wide
24:16eyes. The last of Adrian's golden reputation crumbled in real time. The story that came out of it, somehow,
24:25was that the new Mrs. Ashford had handled everything with grace. Victoria had come by to watch. She was
24:32there at the gate when it happened. She drifted into the main hall afterward, looking like she'd forgotten
24:38how to arrange her face. I was eating the pastries Adrian had walked three streets to find for me.
24:45What brings you all the way here in person?
24:48She was tired. The brightness she'd walked in with last time was gone. Her smile, when she tried it,
24:56didn't work properly. How did you do it? I smiled and touched my stomach. When you have something
25:04better, why would you settle? She understood immediately. Her eyes dropped to my hand. She went
25:11very still. Then the stillness broke, and what came out was pure envy. You're just lucky. Everything
25:20always falls into place for you. The smile left my face. I set down my tea. Lucky. My birth mother
25:27died
25:27in front of me. I spent years in this house as furniture, useful only when needed and invisible
25:34the rest of the time. Every gain I'd made in my past life, and this one, had been mapped out,
25:41move by move, late at night, alone. Lucky wasn't the word.
25:47I hear things haven't been going so well for you. You look thin.
25:51She shot to her feet. I'm perfectly fine. My husband comes only to my room. He dismissed all
25:58the others. I run my own household. No one dares touch me. I let myself laugh. She heard it for
26:04what
26:04it was, and it hit her somewhere deep because she spun around and walked out without another word.
26:11The serpent had dismissed those women because he was afraid of being found out, not because he felt
26:18anything. His visits to her room were maintenance, nothing more. The more she gave, the more he took.
26:25Her body was already paying the bill. In the end, she'd believed what she'd wanted to believe.
26:32I didn't know how much longer she had. The pregnancy was easier than I'd expected. The baby was cooperative,
26:39which gave me room to keep running the shops and managing the estate. Adrian hovered constantly,
26:44asking after every small discomfort, following me from room to room. I found it exhausting,
26:50and started leaving the estate to get away from him. It was on one of those outings that I heard
26:54Victoria had miscarried. I didn't know she'd been pregnant. I went to see her myself. I regretted it
26:59the moment I stepped into her room. The smell hit first. Powder. Sweet and thick. And beneath it,
27:06something rotten. Something that didn't belong in a living body. The doctor stood to one side,
27:11with the face of a man who had stopped expecting to be listened to. I told you both repeatedly.
27:16No more. Why won't you listen? The serpent's expression was distant. He made a soft sound
27:22of dismissal and walked out. Victoria coughed. Hard, wracking coughs. The kind that bent her forward.
27:29She'd gone skeletal. Her skin the color of old paper. She looked up at me. Even like this,
27:34she squared her jaw. Happy now? Lady Hargrove rushed in from the doorway before I could answer.
27:40She was the only person in the room who was genuinely frightened for Victoria, who wanted to
27:45take her home and hold her. No! I'm not going back. I'm fine here. Why would I go back?
27:53Her voice climbed, sharpened. And then something changed in my body. I grabbed Ivy's wrist. The doctor
28:00had said she wasn't far enough along. There shouldn't have been a reaction this sudden,
28:05this strong. I stopped thinking about Victoria and let Ivy steer me out. The Ashford midwife was
28:11already prepared. The doctor arrived within minutes of being called. Outside the delivery room,
28:16I could hear the matriarch and Adrian talking in short, urgent sentences. I was soaked through,
28:22Ivy's hand almost breaking in mine. If something goes wrong, save me. If I didn't survive this,
28:29Adrian would bring Rosalind's boy back. And whatever happened to my child without me here
28:34to stand between them, I didn't want to imagine. I had to stay. The pain came in waves and then
28:40in
28:40walls. Then a cry split the room and I went under completely. When I opened my eyes,
28:46there was a small warm weight on the bed beside me. Ivy was kneeling, smiling so wide it looked like
28:51it
28:51hurt. Congratulations, ma'am. It's a girl. I stared at her for a long time. Then I reached
28:58out very carefully and poked her cheek with one finger. She woke up. She didn't cry. She just
29:05looked at me and smiled. Something in my chest came loose. I closed my hand around her tiny fingers.
29:11From today, she was the Ashford heir and I was going to make sure she lived her life on her
29:17own
29:18terms. Not mine, not anyone else's. Adrian was happy about the baby and also a little lost,
29:24the way men get when reality lands differently than they'd planned. He circled around the subject
29:29for weeks before finally floating the idea of trying again in a few years. A son, he meant,
29:35to carry the Ashford name. I told him no without softening it. The matriarch promised me,
29:40if you'd like to revisit that conversation, go talk to her. He didn't. He went back to making faces at
29:46our daughter instead. After my recovery, I finally turned my attention to why the birth had come early.
29:51The doctor could only tell me that something sharp and chemical had triggered it. He couldn't
29:55identify the specific substance. I thought about Victoria's room, the smell that had sat in the
30:00back of my throat. Ivy came back from asking questions with her face flushed red.
30:04Mom, Rosaline has been meeting with Miss Victoria, the place she's been living since she left here,
30:10and Miss Victoria arranged it. Two women with nothing to lose and the same target. If I'd lost the baby,
30:16Rosaline's boy would have been the only option left. She'd have been back through the gate within the week,
30:20but I'd learned every corner of this estate before the baby came. The staff here were mine in the way
30:25that mattered. They were careful, attentive, loyal enough when loyalty was earned. Nothing had reached
30:30me that shouldn't have. Has Adrian had any contact with them since they left? Once. Right after they
30:35were removed, he went to see them. They had a fight. He hasn't been back. He's cut the boy off
30:39too. Good.
30:40I exhaled. He's finally reading the room. And my half-sister, lately? Ivy's voice took on a certain
30:46quality. She's determined. I'll give her that. Her body is in the state it's in and she's still
30:50having people in, still calling doctors, trying to keep going. I sighed. She was stubborn to the
30:55point of self-destruction. She always had been. Life in the Ashford estate settled into something
30:59close to peace. The baby's name was Sarah. The matriarch chose it herself, and she announced
31:04formally in front of the clan that Sarah Ashford would be the next family head. Some members objected.
31:10Lord Ashford Sr. shut them down in four sentences and didn't look up from his tea. Adrian sulked
31:14quietly about it for a while, then adjusted. He spent his mornings making Sarah laugh and telling
31:19her she'd better remember who her father was when she was running things. It might have stayed that
31:24way indefinitely. Then, one of my shop managers came in with a report. He could barely get through
31:29it without going red in the face. Victoria had purchased something from one of our suppliers.
31:35A particular kind of compound. When I pressed for details, the man turned the color of a peony and
31:41started examining the floor. I understood. Victoria was pregnant again. She announced it with a dinner
31:47party. The invitation arrived on my desk. Ivy told me not to go. Why wouldn't I? Running away was never
31:54my style. The party drew the wives of every major shifter clan. They found me within minutes of arriving
32:00and pulled me into a circle of warm, elaborate compliments. Victoria's face went through several
32:06difficult stages before she managed to control it. She breathed in, breathed out, and crossed the
32:12room to me. The smile I gave her was direct and had teeth. Look at you. Jealous? Her composure buckled.
32:20She turned and walked away in fast, rigid steps. I finished my drink. My eyes drifted to the maid
32:26standing just behind her. I smiled to myself, said something low to Ivy, and watched her slip away
32:32through the crowd. Later, a group of us walked out to the back garden. We heard it before we saw
32:37it.
32:38There, half hidden behind a stone wall, the serpent was pressed against a serving girl,
32:43unhurried, as if he'd forgotten or didn't care. But there were guests 20 feet away. When we got close
32:49enough, he still didn't stop. One of the wives sucked in a sharp breath. Isn't that the woman who was
32:54thrown out of the Ashford Palace? Every head turned toward me. Someone clicked her tongue. Honestly,
33:00and that boy, who even knows? Victoria came through the garden gate with her attendants,
33:05reached the two of them, and wrenched them apart with shaking hands. How dare you? She hit him. He
33:12looked at her the way you look at something mildly inconvenient, the smear of lip color still on his
33:16jaw. You can't keep up. I'm not going to starve because of that. Don't make a scene. He shoved her
33:22back,
33:22not gently, then curved a protective arm around Rosalyn as they retreated through the gate. Victoria hit the
33:28ground. Red bloomed beneath her. She stopped being a person for a moment. She curled into herself and
33:34started murmuring over and over, even again. Why is it always like this? She tried to crawl toward me,
33:43hands reaching. Adrian came through the gate behind her and kicked her back before she could reach me,
33:48not carefully. The gathered wives had lost their appetite for the evening. They called for their
33:52maids and started for the carriages. After that, I never saw Victoria again. Three days later, Ivy
33:58came to me with her jaw set tight. Ma'am, Rosalyn is back. I looked up from my ledger. Where?
34:04At the gate.
34:05She says she has information about the compound used before your delivery. She's saying she wants to
34:10bargain. I set down my pen. Is Adrian home? In the east courtyard with the clan elders. The succession
34:15discussion ran long. Good. I needed to handle this myself first. I put on my outer robe and walked to
34:21the
34:21gate unhurried. Rosalyn looked smaller than I remembered. Her clothes were decent, but worn at the hem. I can
34:27give you proof. The woman who sourced the compound, the transaction record, everything. And what do you
34:32want in return? My son, just recognition. He has abilities. He deserves to be trained. I'm not asking
34:38for anything else. I studied her for a long moment. You came to me with this, not to Adrian.
34:45She didn't answer. That was answer enough. She knew that door was closed. She'd come to the one person
34:50with actual authority over this gate. Leave the documents with my servant. I'll review them.
34:54And my son. I said I'll review them. I turned and walked back inside. The documents were thorough.
35:00Ivy sat across from me, reading carefully. This is enough to bring for the clan council. Attempted harm
35:05to an heir. That's not a minor offense. No. I folded the document closed. We wait. Ivy looked up. Victoria
35:11is
35:12already broken. Filing this now does nothing except make me look like I'm kicking someone already on the
35:16ground. That afternoon, Adrian walked into my room with a careful expression. The clan elders want to discuss
35:22Sarah's succession formula. Some of them are pushing back. On what grounds? She's a girl,
35:27and young. They're suggesting we revisit the matter when she's older. How much older? Old enough to be
35:32replaced by a son. I told them I had no plans for a son. They didn't believe me. I turned
35:36back to the
35:37window. Then we give them something they can't argue with. I sent for the clan's senior historian the next
35:42morning. He arrived in the afternoon. An elderly man with excellent posture. I need to understand the
35:47succession law in full. Every claw love. Every exception. Every precedent. That evening, I walked
35:54into the east courtyard, where Adrian was running forms with Sarah propped against the practice post.
35:59He stopped when he saw my face. What did you find? The matriarch conformally vest the succession in
36:05Sarah before she reaches training age. The elders can object, but they can't overturn a formal vesting by
36:11the sitting matriarch. Adrian was quiet for a moment. She'll do it if I ask her. He picked Sarah up.
36:16She grabbed his ear. Dad? She said clearly. We both went still. It was her first word. Did she just?
36:23Yes. She said my name first. Don't make it a competition. Too late. The elders made their move
36:29at the monthly clan meeting. Elder Crane stood first. The succession of Sarah Asheville was announced
36:34prematurely. The child has not yet demonstrated ability. We move to defer the designation until she
36:40reaches the age of eight. Several others nodded. Matriarch said firmly. No. The designation stands.
36:46I have already submitted the formal vesting to the clan record. She set a sealed document on the
36:51table. It was received and witnessed this morning. Next day, I was at the market with Ivy. When someone
36:55grabbed my sleeve, I turned. It's Victoria. She looked nothing like herself. Her hair was loose.
37:00Her eyes red-rimmed. You have to help me. He's gonna kill me. I know he is. He said if
37:06I left again,
37:07he'd... Let go of me. She didn't. Her grip tightened. I have nowhere to go. Mother can't help me. She's
37:13already tried. He threw her out. And I can't... I can't go back there. I can't... Victoria, you're
37:20making a scene. Please. She said very quietly this time. A desperate Victoria, loose in public, was
37:27exactly the kind of loose ends someone like Crane would find a use for. Come with me. Don't speak.
37:32Don't draw any more attention. I took her back to the estate. I sat Victoria in the outer garden with
37:37tea and told her to stay put. She did. Adrian found me in the corridor. Tell me you didn't bring
37:42her
37:42inside. Outer garden. Supervised. She's not a threat today. If I leave her in the street,
37:48she becomes someone else's tool. He looked at me steadily. What about Sarah? Sarah is in the training
37:54hall with two senior clan guards and her father, who was just here, which means you left her there alone.
38:00He turned around immediately and went back. I returned to the garden. Victoria murmured
38:05like a crazy person. The serpent is going to kill me. He's run out of use for me. I sat
38:10down across
38:11from her. What do you want? I need to go somewhere he can't reach me. I won't come near you
38:15or the girl
38:16again. In last life, she had been cruel to me in every small way she could manage. In this life,
38:21she had
38:22tried to take my child from me before she was even born. I can't let anything go wrong again. I'll
38:27arrange a
38:27departure. Documents, escort, a new name. You will leave before the week is out. You will not contact
38:33anyone in this city. You will not come back. She froze, not expecting I would help her so easily.
38:38Why? She asked. Because it costs me nothing and it costs you everything to own me. Before she stepped
38:44into the carriage, she turned back. Crane paid the serpent to keep me close to you. I don't know what
38:48he was
38:49planning, but I thought you should know. I'm not telling you for your sake. I just want him to lose
38:53something too. The carriage door closed. I brought her words to Adrian. He was in the middle of
38:57teaching Sarah how to hold her stance. She kept toppling sideways and laughing about it,
39:01which was not making him a more effective instructor. Crane. I suspected him. You didn't
39:07say anything. I was waiting for confirmation. Now I have it. Sarah pulled on his sleeve. Again,
39:13dad. In a moment. Now, dad. He crouched down to Sarah's level. If you hold the stance for 10 full
39:19breaths, we do it again. She squared up with tremendous seriousness. She made it to seven
39:25before she started giggling. Adrian caught her when she fell over. I want to deal with Crane
39:29openly. In front of the full clan. That's a risk. I have the documents from Rosany. The succession
39:36vesting. Victoria's testimony in writing. Witness before she left. If I lay it all at once, there's no
39:42recovery from it. And the serpent? That I'll leave to the serpent clan's own politics. They'll handle it
39:48faster than we could. At the formal clan gathering, Elder Crane held high a document. I have evidence
39:54of financial misconduct within the Ashfield estate accounts, dating back to the very year the current
39:59mistress arrived. May I see the document? He handed it over with confidence. I read it,
40:05looked up. Those discrepancies were identified, documented, and corrected in the first month after
40:10I took over management. The shop manager responsible was dismissed. I turned to the matriarch. I believe you
40:16have the original corrective record in the household archive. The matriarch nodded. Crane's composure
40:21cracked. Furthermore, I withdrew a folded document. I have a record here of payments made from Elder
40:27Crane's personal accounts to a third party. That third party is the serpent clan's finance manager.
40:33The same serpent clan that housed Victoria, the woman who attempted to harm the Ashfield heir before
40:39her birth. The hall erupted. Crane sat down. He didn't speak again. After that day, neither did anyone
40:45else bother to listen when he tried. That evening the estate was quiet. Word had come earlier that day.
40:50Victoria had killed the serpent. He tracked her down despite everything, and she'd fought back.
40:54The serpent clan handled it themselves. Trial, verdict, exile to somewhere far enough that no one
40:59would hear from her again. I felt nothing. The only people I cared about were already with me.
41:03Sarah had fallen asleep in the courtyard after dinner, still wearing the small practice gloves
41:07Adrian had fitted to her hands. He carried her inside without waking her. He laid her down,
41:11and then he came out and stood beside me. She held the starts for eleven breaths today,
41:15while you were with the elders. I counted. I know. She told me herself. Twice. Crane will resign
41:22by morning. The elders talked after you left. Even the ones who were supporting him have pulled back.
41:27Good. When did you know? About Crane. How long had you known? Long enough.
41:32You waited. Timing is everything. He exhaled slowly. Not quite a laugh. You're terrifying,
41:37you know that. You married me. I know. I'm starting to think that was the smartest thing I ever did.
41:43He was watching Sarah through the doorway. She's going to be extraordinary. I turned back to the
41:48doorway. Sarah stirred in her sleep and smiled at something in her dream. I thought of my mother's
41:53voice, barely audible, telling me to keep going. I had. This was what keeping going looked like.
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