These were not people bound by love who had gone wrong.

They were a criminal partnership that had been wearing the costume of a family, and the moment the partnership faced consequences, the costume came off, and what was underneath was simply three people each trying to save themselves by sacrificing the others.

Ottavia would give up her son to save herself.

Percival would give up his mother.

There was no loyalty there to betray, because there had never been any loyalty there at all — only mutual usefulness, which is a different thing that can look identical from the outside right up until the money runs out.

Yvaine had understood this for years, of course.