章 60: CHAPTER 59

I didn't sleep that night.

How could I?

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my father's piercing gaze and heard his words slicing through me like a blade. Do you get it now? The shame that had burned through me in that moment still clung to my skin, making me feel like I had been flayed alive.

And then there was Alaric. His grin, his condescension, his goddamn arrogance. It all replayed in my head, feeding my anger until it threatened to consume me.

By dawn, I was still sitting by the window, staring at the forest outside. The morning light spilled into my room, soft and golden, but it did nothing to soothe the storm raging inside me. My knuckles throbbed from my fight, the cuts and bruises reminding me of my own vulnerability.

I couldn't afford another mistake. Not ever again.