Chapter 96 Illegitimate Daughter

• Ariana's POV:
• Todd's presence dominated the room, pressing down on everyone like a storm cloud ready to burst. Mirabelle, clutching my arm, shrank back, her small frame trembling. She didn't have the bravery her brothers did. She was only a child, and fear clung to her like a second skin.
• The weight of the moment finally broke through my shock, and I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her protectively. My own fear was a wildfire, spreading through my body until I could feel my hands shaking.