Whats She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 323

The truth about halvon

(Isla)

For several seconds, I could only stare at the riame. Halvon ftad sat across from us during Council meetings and listened while we uncovered what Evander had done. He had answered questions, offered information and helped us reach Orin. Now Mara’s warning sat in front of me.

“Are we sure this means him?” I asked. The record was centuries old, while Halvon lived now. “Could Mara have meant someone else from his family?” I didn’t want to accuse him because of an ancestor’s actions.

“No.” Orin pointed to the writing beneath the name. “Mara recorded the bloodline, not Halvon himself.” He studied the rest of the page.

I looked again and understood. Mara had warned that the family serving Varen should be watched if its descendants ever gained power again. Halvon’s name had been added much later by someone else. The writing wasn’t the same as Mara’s.

“Who added his name?” I asked. Elena’s mother had possessed the case before she died. “Could your mother have written this?” I looked toward Elena.

“I know her writing.” Elena leaned over the page. “That’s hers.” She touched the space beside Halvon’s

name.

That changed everything. Elena’s mother had known who Halvon was before she died twelve years ago. She’d connected him to a Keeper family that once served Varen. Then she’d hidden the record and told her daughter not to open the case.

“She was searching for you seventeen years ago,” I said to Orin. Her mother had died five years after that journey. “Maybe this was why.” The timing made more sense now.

“It could be.” Orin picked up another page. “But we still don’t know what she believed Halvon had done.” He began reading.

I was glad he said it. A family connection wasn’t proof that Halvon had continued what his ancestors started. I knew better than most what it felt like to be judged because of things other people had done. We needed facts before confronting him.

Caius remained beside me while Pryor examined the next record. There were dates written beside several names. Some went back centuries, while others had been added within the last twenty years. Elena’s mother had clearly continued Mara’s work.

“There’s more about Halvon here,” Pryor said. He turned the page so Caius could see it. “Your mother was following his movements.” His attention went to Elena.

Elena looked confused. She said her mother had never mentioned the Council or Halvon at home. As far as she’d known, her mother had spent her life keeping records for several western families. That work could have given her access to information without anyone questioning her.

“What movements?” I asked. Halvon represented the western alliance. Traveling between territories wouldn’t have been unusual for him. “Anything that shouldn’t be there?” I waited for Pryor to finish reading.

“Several tips north. Pryor traced the dates with his finger. “None appear in the Council travel records.” He Tooked toward Calus.

My thoughts went straight to Silvermere. North didn’t automatically mean Halvon had gone there, but I couldn’t ignore the possibility. His father, Orin, had spent years hidden near Ravenspire. Halvon had also been the one who led us to him.

Orin took the page from Pryor. He read the dates before checking another record inside the case. His expression changed again. This time he looked toward Elena.

“Your mother came north after Halvon,” Orin said. “These dates are only days apart.” He placed both pages beside each other.

Elena sat down. She looked as though she was trying to remember something from childhood. Her mother had left for that journey when Elena was young. Twelve years had passed since her death.

*She came home frightened,” Elena said. Her eyes remained on the pages. “I remember that.” She swallowed before continuing.

No one interrupted her. Elena explained that her mother had returned earlier than expected and spent days going through old family belongings. Not long afterward, the wooden case had been placed in Elena’s care. Her mother had refused to explain what had happened.

*Did she ever mention Halvon?” I asked. Even hearing the name once could matter now. “Anything at all?” I watched her think.

*Once.” Elena looked at me. “She told my father there was someone on the Council who knew too much.” Her hands rested in her lap.

Caius turned toward Pryor. That statement still wasn’t enough to prove betrayal, but it gave us a reason to investigate. Halvon couldn’t know we’d found these records. If he was hiding something, warning him would only give him time to cover it.

“We keep this in this room,” Caius said. His attention moved across everyone present. “Halvon isn’t contacted until we know exactly what we’re dealing with.” His decision was immediate.

I agreed. Halvon had helped us more than once, and part of me still wanted there to be another explanation. But Mara’s family had spent centuries guarding this information. Elena’s mother had been frightened enough to hide it from her own daughter,

Orin opened the cloth pouch from inside the case. A small metal piece fell into his palm. It looked like part of something larger, with the Keeper symbol carved on one side. On the other was a mark I didn’t recognize.

Lyrienne leaned closer. She knew the mark. I could tell before she said anything. Her eyes went from the metal piece to the old pages.

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