Bianca chimed in, her fierce beauty contorted with rage. "She's right! You can't hide what you've done. Sarai and I—we have followers, connections. They'll tear this place apart looking for us."
Sarai, rubbing her wrists where the ropes had chafed, added in a shaky voice, "Please... just let us go. We didn't mean... I mean, whatever happened with Eliana, it wasn't—"
Charles interrupted, his voice steady but laced with warning. "Think carefully, sir. Kidnapping, assault— these are felonies. Release us, and we can negotiate. Money, influence, whatever you want."
