Chapter 54: The Weight of Perception

Kerrigan had been trying to focus on the documents in front of her, but her mind kept wandering back to the meeting with Theo Bryant.

It had gone well, better than she’d expected, but the unease that had settled in her chest since their return from the Duke's estate had only grown. Conor had been distant, more so with each passing day, and she couldn’t help but feel that she was losing him.

As she flipped through another page, a soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Natalie stepped into the office, her expression serious as she held a folded newspaper in her hand.

"Kerrigan, you should see this," Natalie said, her tone cautious.

Kerrigan raised an eyebrow, motioning for her to hand it over. "What’s going on?"

Natalie hesitated before handing her the newspaper. "It’s today’s edition of the Golan Tribune. I thought you might want to see it before the others do."

Kerrigan took the paper and unfolded it, her breath catching in her throat as she saw the front page. There, in sta