Cam settled into the third room of the Peace Wing, marking the arrival of Skye Embroidery''s first true resident.


    When Violet saw Cam sitting at the embroidery frame, delicately stitching a flower, she couldn''t help but smile with quiet satisfaction.


    It had been an arduous start, but it was a start nheless. Violet clung to the hope that, in their darkest moments, women with nowhere else to turn might think of Skye Embroidery before considering death.


    -


    Elsewhere, Serena had been sent back to her family after her divorce.


    Vi was thoroughly displeased, refusing to let Serena set foot in their home again. However, Barrett had insisted on bringing her back to Valor Estate. Furious, Vi stormed off to her own family''s home.


    In her mom''s sitting room, Vi wept bitterly,menting Barrett''s state. "He''s lost his position, he neglects his duties, and he''s nothing but a useless wreck of a man! I can''t live like this anymore!" Evelyn, weary of the many simrints, barely reacted. Instead, she stared nkly ahead and let Vi cry herself hoarse.


    "If you can''t live like this, then divorce him," she snapped. "But don''t think for a second you cane crawling back here afterward! Maybe try your luck at Skye Embroidery-but don''t count on them taking you in. After all, you had more than a hand in pushing Amelia to her death."


    However, Zoey had no such patience.


    Vi paled at the mention of Amelia''s name, her sobs abruptly silenced. She had no courage to face her elder sister-inw''s usations. After sulking for two days at Silverstone Estate, she returned to Valor Estate in shame.


    Meanwhile, Zoey made her way to Skye Embroidery and met Cam in person. She had heard whispers of Cam''s plight and decided to inquire directly with Violet.


    "Is there any way you can help her find justice?" Zoey asked privately.


    Violet''s answer was practical, if disheartening. "I''ve already sent ire to investigate her ims. But even if we can clear her name, the dye shop she lost... I doubt it can be returned to her."


    Zoey stayed silent. She knew Violet was right. The dye shop had been Cam and her husband''s shared venture, but it was legally in her husband''s name. Women, aside from their dowries, were not allowed private property.


    After leaving the workshop, Zoey reflected on her situation. She might appear to live a charmed life, but she knew better than anyone the fragile threads holding it all together. The grand estate she managed was riddled with problems beneath the surface, like fine silk infested with lice. She couldn''t afford to wait idly for disaster to strike.


    Her children might still be too young for marriage, but it was high time she beganying the groundwork. Dowries and engagement gifts needed to be prepared well in advance. In families of their status, such matters weren''t left to thest minute. Suitable items had to be carefully acquired and stored away for the right time.


    Zoey resolved to prepare. Her instincts told her she had little time to spare.


    Whether it was the engagement gifts or dowries, Zoey knew it all had to be meticulously recorded and approved by the authorities. In the past, she had thought she had plenty of time to prepare. Now, however, urgency pressed on her.


    She carefully reorganized her dowry,


    making sure it was securely stored. Then, she purchased several shops to add to her daughter''s future inheritance. Her mother-inw, practical woman with a deep affection for her grandchildren, would not object. Rather, Zoey expected Evelyn to praise her for her foresight and prudence.


    inheritanc


    Though her daughter wasn''t yet old enough for marriage, Zoey began thinking about arranging a match early. The future was too unpredictable, especially given her husband Oliver''s increasingly uncertain prospects. She had known him long enough to recognize that his career would likely never regain its former momentum.


    That same evening, chaos erupted at a tavern, Drunken Blossom.novelbin


    The second


    son of the Earl of Delmarsh caused an uproar when he attempted to set the building on fire


    over a dispute involving asan


    Thanks to the swift actions of bystanders, the fire was


    couldovelis


    extinguished before it could spread,


    avoiding a devastating catastrophe.


    The incident sparked outrage across the city, especially when it came to light that the young man held a position in the Garrison Unit.


    Stories like thepeting for the top courtesan were the talk of the town, and the people loved to gossip about it. Soon, rumors were all over the city, with everyone revealing the reckless behavior of some young troublemakers in the Garrison Unit. The Oversight Department caught wind of it and reported it, and the matter eventually made its way to the court.


    While Salvador had been reluctant to act against the Garrison Unit before, the public furor left him little choice. He ordered Carissa and Max to conduct a thorough investigation and restore order.


    For days, high-ranking officials knelt outside the royal study, weeping and pleading for leniency for their sons. Their tears only served to sour Salvador''s mood further. Dismissing them with a scathing rebuke, he grudgingly promised to show some mercy.


    Once the court had dispersed, Salvador summoned Carissa to the study.


    Carissa entered with calm determination, presenting her findings before he could even speak.


    Salvador flipped through the documents, his expression growing darker with every page. At first, he had assumed the matter was simply a case of spoiled noble brats bullying merchants and causing minor trouble.


    But as he read on, the full extent of their crimes came into view-arson, murder, and the abduction of young women, all in collusion with ruthless moneylenders.


    "Hand them all over to the Supreme Court," Salvador thundered, his voice cold with fury. "Let thew deal with them harshly!"


    Carissa knelt, bowing her head in acknowledgment. "Yes, Your Majesty. I will see to it immediately."


    Salvador knew that the decision to crack down on the Garrison Unit was hers. He had been somewhat angry at first, but now, the evidence she had uncovered left no doubt these men were dangerous and needed to be stopped before they brought ruin to the empire. His anger softened, and he offered a few words ofmendation, his tone begrudging but sincere.