Chapter 1140

Hazel was led into a secluded wing of the Fuller estate—an old, silent building nestled deep within the compound, its wooden beams steeped in the scent of time and secrets. The corridors were narrow, the air heavy with history, and the soft shuffle of mute servants’ footsteps echoed like whispers. Inside the dimly lit chamber, Amara sat bound to a heavy wooden chair, her wrists red from the ropes that dug into her skin. She looked up the moment Hazel entered. Surprise flickered in her eyes, swiftly replaced by a frown. "What are you doing here?" she asked, voice low but wary. She wasn’t naive. On the way in, when the mute servant had dragged her past Frederick’s courtyard, she’d caught a glimpse of the earlier confrontation. Hazel had been in complete control. There was no way anyone had forced her to come here—if she was now standing in the Punishment Hall, it could mean only one thing: she had come willingly. For her. Hazel moved without hesitation, her hands deftly untying the ropes