Episode 90

The sterile white walls of the safe house seemed to press in on Elara, a stark contrast to the opulent gilded cage she had so desperately escaped. Liam sat across from her, his usual easy smile replaced by a grim determination. The air crackled with the aftermath of their narrow escape, the adrenaline still a phantom tremor beneath Elara’s skin. The betrayal had been a bitter pill, a knife twisted in a wound that was only just beginning to close. Mrs. Albright, the kindly, grandmotherly figure who had always offered a warm cup of tea and a sympathetic ear, had turned out to be Julian’s most trusted informant. Her confession, delivered with a chilling lack of remorse, had been the final, devastating blow.

"He knew," Liam stated, his voice low. "He knew you were going to try and access the offshore accounts. Albright must have tipped him off about your research."

Elara nodded, her gaze distant. "She said… she said he deserved to know what I was doing. That I was playing with fire." A hollow laugh escaped her. "The irony. She was the one holding the matches."