Selene spent the entire night reading.
She couldn't stop. Couldn't put the journal down. Couldn't look away from proof of everything she'd been wrong about.
The entries were chronological. Eight years of Damian's private thoughts. His struggles. His guilt. His search.
"Week 2: Confronted Uncle Aldric about the purge. He claimed the southern nobles were planning rebellion. That they were threats to the crown. That eliminating them was necessary for stability."
"I demanded to see evidence. He showed me documents. Correspondence. Reports from spies. Everything pointed to conspiracy."
"But something felt wrong. The evidence was too perfect. Too convenient. Too complete."
"Week 3: Started my own investigation. Quietly. Without Aldric knowing. Found discrepancies. Letters that didn't match handwriting. Reports from spies who didn't exist. Documents with forged seals."
