The morgue was unnaturally silent as I stared at Genevieve's body. Her face looked peaceful, as if she was merely sleeping, but the stillness of her chest told the truth my heart refused to accept.
She was gone.
Just hours ago, she'd been sitting with me, promising to fight for Violet's justice. Now she lay on a cold steel table, another person I loved taken from me.
"It was her heart," Dr. Wesley Harris explained, his voice soft with genuine sadness. "It just... stopped."
My fingers brushed against her silver hair, arranged neatly around her face. She looked regal even in death, the Matriarch until the very end.
"She promised me," I whispered, tears falling freely. "She promised she'd help get justice for Violet."
Dr. Harris placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Matriarch Genevieve's heart condition was far worse than she let anyone know. She refused additional treatment, said she had too much to accomplish."
A sob escaped my throat. "And now I'm alone again."
