Stephanie was afraid of this. But she wasn't going to back down from this, because she could not go back into that world. To go back willingly now would mean losing everything that was dear to her. To turn her back on what she knew was a better path.

"I know you are." Stephanie wasn't a fool, she didn't expect Brooke would let go of her ambitions for her sake. It was a disappointing thing to consider, though. She didn't blame, Brooke. She wished she could offer blanket reassurance, but she couldn't. It wouldn't be right, or honest.

"I hope not." Her real enemies in a visceral sense were her father and his allies amongst the Lords Cardinal. But ... Sebastian Shaw was Brooke's overlord. "I hope we can find a way to be friends." But she wasn't going to lie and assume it was going to be easy, for either of them.