Modric’s POV
I noticed the empty space before I noticed anything else.
The Luna Wing was quiet when I entered that evening. Two guards stood outside, both alert, and Greta had already confirmed that Mary Ann’s meals had been tested. I told myself I was only checking her security before returning to my study. Someone had entered these rooms before. Someone had placed poison close enough to kill her. It was reasonable for me to inspect the wing myself.
Then I stepped into the sitting room and saw the pale square on the wall.
The wedding portrait was gone.
For several seconds, I stared at the empty space as if the painting might return if I waited long enough. The marks from the frame remained visible against the darker wall. I remembered the portrait clearly. Mary Ann in white, her curl
