Yohana came to a halt in a dimly lit corridor, the air heavy and cool against her skin. She closed her eyes and took a long, steadying breath, trying to push down the rising heat in her chest.
"He was kind to his brothers, but that doesn't mean he has a shred of mercy for anyone else. I have no intention of trying to understand him," she muttered to the empty shadows.
But as soon as the words left her lips, the image of Alvaro flashed in her mind—bound in those searing silver chains, his eyes avoided hers as he admitted the unthinkable. The betrayal felt like a physical weight; he hadn't just abandoned her, he had sold her for a price.
"If Mom and Dad were alive, they would never have let this happen. I miss them so much," she whispered, her voice breaking. She quickly brushed the moisture from her lashes, refusing to let the palace walls see her break again.
