Page 66 of Crowned In Venom

"And yet," she breathes, "you still have not destroyed her."

I exhale softly.

Bored.

Dismissing.

"As a lesson," I say, "nothing more."

The words are smooth. Practiced.

They are a lie, and yet they are also a truth.

She studies me, lips parting slightly.

And then—she laughs.

Low. Indulgent. Mocking.

"You are so predictable," she muses. "Always testing, always measuring. You think you are so careful."

She steps behind me now, trailing just close enough that the fine hairs at my nape rise.

"But I wonder," she whispers, "do you remember the last one?"

I lift my goblet.

Take a slow sip.

Swallowing bile.

Swallowing rage.

Because of course I remember.

The woman who thought she could stand beside me.

The woman who was torn apart because of it.

The woman who screamed my name until she had no breath left.

"She was a fool," I say simply. "As all the others will be."

I let the words settle.

Let her think I have learned.

That I understand.

That Anya is no different.

Because if I let her believe that…

She will not kill her.

Not yet.

The Matriarch smiles.

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