Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Thomas met Zoey's gaze, feeling a knot in his throat. It was a matter of a man's dignity, and he wasn't sure how to articulate his thoughts.

"Do you know everything?" Zoey asked, studying his expression.

"I can't say I know everything." He sighed deeply before asking outright, "After I left for the Southern Frontier, did she develop feelings for my cousin? Did they exchange tokens of affection?" "Tokens of affection?" Zoey wasn't aware of that detail.

Thomas stood and walked to the drawer behind his desk, pulling out an emerald pendant. "I found this under the bed where she used to sleep. It was wedged between the foot of the bed and the wall. I recognize it. It belongs to my cousin." He laughed bitterly.

"It was under her bed. She must have taken it out at night to look at as she thought about him. When did she start liking my cousin? I always thought we had a loving marriage, but it seems she was hiding someone in her heart all along. You knew about this, didn't you?" Hearing him speak like that, Zoey felt a pang of bitterness. Here was a man so pure-hearted, he couldn't even bring himself to consider the darker implications of finding that pendant. He could only imagine Viola had pulled it out during a sleepless night. He was a man who had escaped captivity and helped build a spy network-someone who had fought through hell. He should have been capable of the most meticulous and skeptical thinking about everything.

Yet, he had never once questioned Viola.

Zoey didn't dwell on the sorrow in his eyes. She took a deep breath, and laid it all out.

Estate for a month. At the same time, she asked for medicine to induce a miscarriage." The emerald pendant clattered to the

she had drunk too much and went to rest in her room. Your cousin was also present at the residence at the time.

mistook him for you.

what she told us."

hadn't divulged the specifics either. She had just given a brief explanation of what

feeling so lonely for so long, and the alcohol clouded her judgment. She had seen Silas' handsome face and had drunkenly tumbled into his arms,

Thomas like a lightning bolt. His mind went completely blank, and

chest. Yet, some truths had to be spoken boldly, or they would fester in

telling you any of this," she began, "I should be burying these sordid details. But if she weren't planning to divorce Barrett and remarry you, Iè would've never said a word. Do you know she returned

tell you-if there's no hope from your end, she won't go

with the abortion."

times, but was unable to form any words. It was as if something was lodged in his throat. Despite the sweltering summer heat, he