CHAPTER 298: REFLECTIONS IN THE WHITE PAVILION

The white pavilion sparkled in the garden like a crown resting on velvet.

Its stone columns, as pale as fresh milk, were delicately etched with swirling patterns of roses and vines.

Above, the dome’s inner surface caught the sunlight, casting a soft, muted glow that enveloped the space.

Built for beauty rather than necessity, it was meant to be a retreat,a place where voices could soften and the weight of the Dominion Sanctum’s power felt distant.

But this morning? That weight was all too present.

The air crackled with tension following Arthur’s revelation, heavy enough that it seemed even the walls had been eavesdropping.

The pavilion had always been a place for leisure, yet today, the five young women gathered inside felt far too restless to relax.

Ashley leaned forward impatiently, her elbows propped on the table.

Her eyes flickered from one cousin to another, searching for answers to questions she couldn’t quite articulate.

Beside her sat Bella, reclining with an air of nonchalance,her dark hair cascading over her shoulder like a flowing river and a faint smirk dancing at her lips; she appeared almost mocking in her calmness.

Olivia remained poised as ever, sipping her tea as if savoring every drop while her mind wandered elsewhere; her gaze drifted into nothingness but sharpened whenever conversation sparked around her.

Charlotte exuded quiet intensity; she sat upright with one hand gripping the edge of her cup tightly enough that her knuckles turned white.

Her focus never wavered from the crest images Arthur had etched into their memories.

Meanwhile, Eva radiated warmth and laughter that flowed effortlessly between words,a charming façade masking deeper anxieties about their reality.

Around them flitted servants like shadows, placing plates laden with sugared figs, golden tarts, and delicate cakes filled with rose cream before retreating silently.

The sweet scent of tea leaves mingled with warm pastries hung in the air.

Outside the pavilion stretched a meticulously manicured garden: hedges trimmed to perfection bordered a glimmering pond where swans drifted lazily by amidst fragrant morning jasmine.

Ashley broke first,the spark igniting within her always burned brightest.

"Tell me," she urged in a low but urgent voice, "did any of you truly believe Arthur? About branches and other families? Or did he sound like he was reciting some old legend?"

Bella twirled a spoon between her fingers lazily before replying with half-lidded eyes.

"Legends have roots,roots grounded in truth. He wouldn’t speak unless he had proof."

"That’s not really my point," Ashley shot back as she leaned closer in frustration.

"We’ve been blind! We thought our Osborn name meant everything,that we were unique! And now we’re told we’re just one among many? Doesn’t that make everything we’ve done feel... smaller?"

Charlotte’s voice sliced through the air, sharp as glass. "Not smaller. Just... different. Power isn’t about believing you’re the only one; it’s knowing who else is out there and how to confront them."

Ashley turned, her eyes narrowing. "So you’d bow? Accept that we’re just a fragment?"

Charlotte’s jaw clenched. "I’d learn before I strike at shadows."

Finally, Olivia set her cup down, the delicate porcelain making a soft click against the table.

"You’re both missing the bigger picture! Do you realize what this means? If Arthur is right and I believe he is,then the Osborn name isn’t a fortress; it’s part of a vast network.

We aren’t smaller; we’re woven into something greater. And let me tell you, that vastness can suffocate just as much as it empowers."

Eva chuckled lightly, shaking her head in disbelief. "You all act like Arthur meant to scare us! But did you see his expression? He wasn’t warning us,he was strategizing! He doesn’t reveal anything without purpose. If he’s shown us this, it means he has plans for us."

Ashley’s lips curled into a near-snarl. "And what if his plan is nothing more than patience? Sitting back, waiting, watching, always thinking ten steps ahead while we... while we sip tea like mere ornaments."

The truth of her words hung heavy in the air, and for a moment, silence enveloped them.

Outside, a gentle breeze rustled through the pavilion’s silk drapes, billowing them like sails on an unseen sea.

Sunlight streamed through in golden shafts, dancing across marble floors and glinting off glass plates piled high with desserts.

The swans glided gracefully on the pond, sending shimmering ripples against the white stone.

Bella finally broke the silence with a thoughtful tone. "Maybe Arthur’s waiting isn’t weakness; maybe it’s strength! What good is revenge if it’s poorly timed? It’s like lighting a fire that burns out before it spreads."

Ashley shot back sharply. "Revenge is justice!"

Olivia narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "Or poison taken too soon..."

Charlotte leaned forward, her voice dropping to an almost growl. "They betrayed us,that’s not up for debate! If eleven families conspired to tarnish the Osborn name, then we are living in their aftermath every single day! How do you endure that without feeling fury?"

Eva’s laughter faded away as she softened her tone for once. "By questioning whether fury truly wins or if it merely chains you tighter..."

Ashley clenched her fists against the table in frustration. "So we do nothing?"

"No," Olivia said firmly but calmly. "We prepare."

That word lingered heavily in the air like a stone dropped into still water: Prepare.

Ashley bit her lip, a flicker of defiance in her eyes that slowly dimmed as reason crept in.

She sank back into her seat, arms crossed, still unwilling to yield, but no longer fighting with the same ferocity.

And just like that, the conversation shifted.

One by one, each girl began to share her thoughts, hesitantly peeling back layers of hidden fears.

Bella spoke up first, her voice barely above a whisper. She confessed her fear of insignificance,that their branch might fade into obscurity in the grand scheme of things.

Olivia followed suit, revealing her skepticism about unity; she worried that bringing the branches together could turn family ties into rivalries and cousins into enemies.

Charlotte’s anger simmered just below the surface raw and fierce but it was tinged with betrayal: what if their pride had been built on a lie?.

And then there was Eva, who despite her outward cheerfulness, couldn’t shake off a nagging anxiety,that Arthur’s ambitions might extend far beyond their understanding, leaving them mere pawns in a much larger game.

As for Ashley? She swung between hope and fury like a pendulum.

One moment she burned for vengeance; the next, she quaked with an overwhelming urge to prove their worth,to show the other branches they were anything but weak.

The pavilion itself seemed to absorb their turmoil.

The columns echoed their voices while swans glided outside, carrying snippets of their words on gentle ripples.

Sunlight danced across the room as clouds drifted lazily by overhead.

Time slipped away unnoticed,pastries grew cold on plates; tea was poured again and again as servants moved quietly around them,almost tiptoeing through the storm of thoughts brewing among these young women.

When silence finally settled over them once more, none had found answers to lift the heavy burden they carried.

Yet something had undeniably changed. Their laughter felt softer now; smiles appeared more fragile.

But those eyes,bright and sharp,betrayed an unsettling truth: Arthur’s revelation had struck deeper than any of them cared to admit.

In that white pavilion filled with sugared cakes and steaming tea, five young heirs of the Osborn line gazed at an unfamiliar horizon stretching before them.

For the first time ever, they didn’t just ponder who they were within these walls,they began to wonder who they might need to become beyond them.