27. Chapter 27
Queen Adanna
The air in the private meeting room was suffocating.
Heavy mahogany, dimmed lighting, and the raw, oppressive stench of fresh grief filled every corner.
Nana sat near the head of the table, her weathered hands trembling violently against her lap, her eyes swollen and bloodshot from weeping for my uncle.
Chief was no better, trying to gather herself and remaining quiet.
I stood near the wall, arms folded tight across my chest, jaw set like stone.
Two men from our security detail stood at attention near the heavy double doors, sweating through their suits. They had been whispering, trying to keep their voices down, but a single phrase caught my ear.
"Halt," I commanded, stepping forward. "Say that again."
The guards froze. The lead detail swallowed hard. "Our secondary team just finished reviewing the estate's private corridors from last night, Queen. Right before the security grid went dark... they spotted a woman stepping out of the bedroom."
My blood ran cold. "Who?"
Dame sat at the edge of the table, looking deeply conflicted, his eyes shifting away from mine as the guard answered.
"It was Brooklyn, ma'am."
A choked, gut-wrenching gasp tore out of Chief's throat. "So Brooklyn killed my brother?!"
"Why would she—" Dame cut in quickly.
"She is as treacherous as she’s always been!" Nana shrieked, her fist slamming onto the mahogany. "There was no reason for her to come back into our lives! And you let her in!"
"I was following the rules of the kingdom!" Idris snapped back, rising from her chair. "Protocol dictates how we handle—"
"Protocol?" I spat, the rage boiling up so hot in my throat I felt like I was choking. "You brought a fucking snake back into our sanctuary, and now Chairman is dead."
I couldn't stand the sight of her for another second. Without another word, I turned on my heel and stormed out, letting the doors slam shut behind me.
Pacing toward the mahogany sideboard, I reached for the glass decanter, poured two heavy fingers of amber liquor into a crystal tumbler, and threw it back in one sharp gulp.
I set the glass down, resting both hands on the edge of the wooden table, breathing heavily as I waited for my temper to go away.
Then, the room tilted.