Chapter 139

Dawn spilled gently over the Grimwood Pack as if the sun itself hesitated to wake the night. Soft gold touched the treetops first, then slid down to the rooftops and the quiet courtyard where the final lanterns flickered like fading stars. The celebration had ended hours ago, yet silence still clung to the air—thick with what had been decided, and what still awaited.

Marcella barely slept.

Every