Chapter 81

IRENE'S POV Back at home, I could feel the weight of the day pressing down on me. Thea’s vacant eyes haunted my thoughts. It was all supposed to be over now, wasn’t it? Justice had been served, the guilty punished, and yet… I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was still lurking in the shadows. Leon’s presence brought some comfort, but I knew he could sense my distraction. As soon as we stepped into the house, he pulled me into his arms, his brow furrowed with concern. “Irene, what’s on your mind?” he asked softly, his thumb brushing against my cheek. “You’ve been quiet since the trial. What’s troubling you?” I hesitated, the words dancing on the edge of my tongue. I hadn’t wanted to burden him with my fears, not after everything we’d been through. But I couldn’t keep it bottled up any longer. “I just… I don’t think it’s over, Leon,” I finally admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “Something about Thea’s behavior today felt off. That lie about being pregnant… it wasn’t despe