By the time Ruelle and the Belmonts left the mansion, she let out an inaudible sigh, half-hidden beneath the sound of the carriage door closing behind her.
Mr. Belmont was already grumbling before they completely left the estate. He spat, "So much for pureblooded vampire and their superiority! Did you see what the boy did?! Trying to threaten us!"
"Hush, Harold," Mrs. Belmont whispered, turning in the direction of the coachman.
Ruelle said nothing. She turned her face toward the window, watching the dark forest pass against the glass as the carriage rolled forward. Her mind drifted to the black tendrils she had seen earlier outside the mansion. With the timeline untouched by trauma, she wondered if the corruption had somehow tried to continue to cling to Lucian.
And this time, it didn't corrupt and try to control him.
"We have to let the relatives know about it before it reaches through the paper," Mr. Belmont muttered and he then huffed.
