Love's Unexpected Awakening Elowen's Choice novel Chapter 405

Chapter 405 A Dangerous Confidence

Seren looked at her, clearly caught off guard. “Why would you think that?”

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Alyssa’s gaze dropped, her fingers tightening slightly at her sides as her voice softened. “You’ve been distant lately. Not just busy, but actually avoiding me. I kept wondering if I crossed a line somewhere or said something I shouldn’t have.”

Seren paused, unsure how to respond.

She wasn’t wrong. I have been avoiding her.

That had been her sister’s advice, and she had followed it without questioning too much.

Alyssa let out a quiet breath, the kind that carried more weight than she probably intended. “I don’t really have anyone I trust in the palace. And here at Duskmoor Manor, it’s even harder to feel like I belong. I know I can be too blunt sometimes. I say things before I think them through, and I’m sure that hasn’t helped. If I made you uncomfortable, then I’m sorry. I mean that.”

She finally looked up, her expression open and unguarded. “But I really do want us to be close. I’m not pretending, Seren. I want you to be well. I want us to be on the same side.”

There was nothing calculated in the way she said it. It felt honest in a way that was hard to dismiss.

Seren felt her resolve loosen.

She gave a small smile. “You’re overthinking it. I’m not upset with you. We’re friends. That hasn’t changed.”

Alyssa’s eyes lit up at once. “You mean that?”

Seren nodded, more certain now. “Of course I do.”

The tension between them melted, and for a moment, it felt like things had returned to how they were before.

Seren exhaled quietly, then leaned a little closer. “Actually… there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

A flicker passed through Alyssa’s eyes, quick and sharp before it disappeared behind a bright, reassuring expression. She stepped closer without hesitation and lifted a hand lightly over her chest. “You can trust me. Whatever you say stays between us.”

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11:11 Fri, Apr 24 M…

Chapter 405 A Dangerous Confidence

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Before sunrise the next morning, Alyssa slipped out through a lesser-used gate at Duskmoor Manor, wrapped in a cloak that blended easily with the early morning gloom.

She lingered just outside Baker Estate, scanning the quiet street before approaching a maid who had stepped out to fetch water. Their exchange was brief and hushed.

Within minutes, a carriage bearing the Baker crest rolled out through the gates and headed straight toward the palace.

Inside the palace, the morning audience had just concluded..One by one, the consorts withdrew, leaving behind a faint trace of perfume and powder that still lingered in the air.

Clarisse entered once the room had cleared. She motioned for the attendants to leave, then delivered Alyssa’s message in full, sparing no detail.

Isla sat with a cup in hand, gently circling the surface with the lid in slow, absent motions.

When Clarisse finished, Isla lifted a brow. “She writes fiction?”

Clarisse inclined her head. “Yes, Your Majesty. The information has been confirmed. This is a rare opening. We should act on it before the moment passes.”

The mention of Geoffrey was not spoken aloud, but it lingered between them.

Clarisse could never look at him without remembering what had been lost.

And all of it traces back to her.

The emptiness that followed had curdled into something sharper over time.

A mix of resentment and restlessness settled in, something that simply refused to ease.

Isla did not respond immediately. She took a measured sip of coffee instead, the rising steam softening the edges of her expression.

Clarisse stepped forward, unable to hold back. “Your Majesty, if we handle this carefully, we could drive a wedge between them. A man of his standing would not tolerate his wife involving herself in something so… improper. If the situation turns, Alyssa could step in at the right moment and secure a place for herself.”

Isla let out a quiet laugh, cool and dismissive. “You are overestimating how fragile that marriage is.”

Clarisse fell silent.

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11:11 Fri, Apr 24 M…

Chapter 405 A Dangerous Confidence

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“I have been watching,” Isla continued, setting her cup down with deliberate care. “Cassian is deeply attached to her. Writing stories will not offend him. If anything, he will take pride in it.”

Her gaze sharpened as it shifted toward Clarisse. “As for Alyssa, I warned you already. She lacks the presence to turn a man’s attention, let alone hold it. Sending her to win over Cassian is a wasted effort. Let that idea go.”

Clarisse pressed her lips together, unwilling to concede. “Then are we simply going to let this- pass?”

“Why would we?” Isla replied, her tone calm but edged. “This is not a new game. Do you remember what happened when Daphne entered the Crown Prince’s Wing and tried to claim the name Azure?”

Clarisse looked up at once. “I do, Your Majesty.”

Isla’s fingers traced the rim of her cup, slow and thoughtful. “She was exposed on the very day of her wedding. After that, she could barely show her face anywhere in Vanelle.”

Her eyes cooled. “I have considered it more than once. That outcome was not coincidence. Elowen had a hand in it.”

Clarisse leaned in slightly. “What would you have me do, Your Majesty?”

“If the manuscript is already complete, then it will surface soon enough,” Isla said. “Whether or not it carries the name Azure is irrelevant.”

She met Clarisse’s gaze directly. “Once you return, have someone watch Duskmoor Manor closely. The moment she makes contact with a bookshop or a café to arrange printing, you will spread word that Azure is releasing a new work.”

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