The envelope was unmarked, pale ivory with no wax seal. It had been slipped under Selena's chamber door sometime before dawn.
She stared at it from across the room as she sipped her tea, unbothered by its quiet presence. A message delivered without sound was always more dangerous than a scream.
"Should I burn it?" Maia asked from her bedside, clearly unsettled.
Selena shook her head. "No. Let's see what the ghosts of the court have to say."
She opened the envelope slowly.
Inside, on thick parchment, were five words written in elegant, unfamiliar handwriting:
> Watch the Luna Circle carefully.
Below that, a symbol she recognized a crescent moon wrapped in thorns.
Selena's fingers paused.
That mark belonged to the Luna Whisper Network a secret, unofficial group made up of the wives and daughters of powerful nobles and Alphas. They had no formal meetings. No seats of power. But their gossip could kill faster than poison.
She tucked the note inside her robe.
If they were watching her, it meant her reappearance was shaking the right cages.
Later that morning, Selena was seated in the sunroom reviewing wedding correspondence when Elira appeared, all smiles and fake concern.
"Big sister," Elira greeted sweetly. "You forgot this in the Blackthorn guest wing yesterday."
Selena glanced up to see Elira holding a velvet bracelet delicate and beaded, with Selena's family sigil stitched into the lining.
She didn't move to take it.
"I never go to the guest wing," Selena said flatly. "Especially not when I'm not a guest."
Elira's smile flickered. "Oh? Then it must've... fallen from your coat. You were near Damien's office, weren't you?"
Selena took the bracelet slowly, her expression unreadable.
"Thank you, little sister. It's good to know you keep track of where I drop things."
Elira's eyes narrowed, but her smile remained. "I only worry. These halls can be dangerous for outsiders."
"Mm," Selena hummed. "They can be even more dangerous for insiders."
Their eyes locked. Nothing more was said.
That afternoon, Selena arrived at the Moon Garden Hall where the Luna Circle often held their quiet, high tea "gatherings."
The room was bathed in sunlight and tension. Ladies sat in perfect posture, hands clasped over silk skirts, smiles like knives.
As Selena entered, conversation dimmed just slightly. Eyes followed her. A few pretended not to notice which meant they noticed most.
Lady Amira, one of the more influential Lunas, gestured gracefully.
"Lady Selena, we weren't expecting you."
Selena curtsied softly. "Then I'm exactly where I need to be."
A few ladies chuckled, some frowned.
Lady Amira smiled with razor politeness. "We've heard... stories. The contract bride. The one Damien once rejected."
"I'm not here to discuss men," Selena replied. "Only the women who outlive them."
A ripple of startled silence.
Then, another Luna older, sharp-eyed leaned forward.
"And what do you think of Elira D'Archer, dear?"
Selena's expression was calm. "I think she plays a game she doesn't understand."
Lady Amira blinked. "And you?"
Selena sipped her tea. "I rewrote the rules."
By the end of the hour, Selena had done what she came to do.
The Luna Circle didn't accept her… but they didn't ignore her either.
And in the world of noble women, being noticed was the first form of power.
Back at Blackthorn Tower, Damien stood at his office window, staring down at the courtyard as Lucas approached behind him.
"She's gaining influence already," Lucas noted.
Damien didn't respond.
"You should've seen Lady Amira's face after their tea," Lucas continued. "She looked like someone had read her diary out loud."
Damien turned. "You were spying?"
Lucas shrugged. "No. Listening."
He paused, then added carefully, "Elira tried to plant something on Selena this morning."
Damien's brow twitched. "What?"
"Your housekeeper found Lady Selena's bracelet placed neatly by the stairs. Too neatly."
"And?"
"Selena didn't wear that bracelet yesterday."
Damien went still.
He didn't speak, but his jaw tightened.
That evening, Selena returned to her estate to find a sealed file waiting for her.
The envelope bore the sigil of the High Council.
She opened it with her silver dagger.
Inside: a formal report on her her public history, background, and "psychological profile."
Except… something was off.
According to the report, her mother had died of illness at age thirty-one.
Selena stared at the sentence in silence.
Her mother had been poisoned. And not at thirty-one.
The lies in the file were deliberate.
Someone had edited her past.
And only the Council could do that.
That night, Selena wrote in her journal.
> The game is deeper than I thought. Even my history is being rewritten. But I remember what they want me to forget.
She paused, then wrote:
> Elira is scared. That means she's preparing to strike.
> Damien is watching. That means he's beginning to doubt.
She closed the book.
Tomorrow, she would let them all see her name written on the contract.
But it wouldn't be a surrender.
It would be a warning.