Olivia's POV
"Sofia? Is everything okay? You don't sound okay." Her voice was shaky, threaded with muffled sniffles. My brows furrowed instantly. For a moment, all thoughts of Frederick and his cursed house slipped away—I couldn't focus on anything but her. "What is it? Where are you?" I pressed, my wolf pricking up with worry.
Her silence stretched, heavy and aching, until finally I felt her broken whisper. "I… I did something, Olivia. Something I shouldn't have. And now I feel like I'm drowning."
Her pain washed over me through the bond, raw and unguarded. My chest tightened. "Talk to me," I urged softly. "Don't hold it in. Whatever it is—you can tell me."
Sofia's voice cracked, barely audible. "I think… I still love him. And it hurts so much, because I know I shouldn't."
I sighed. I didn't need her to name him. I already knew who she meant. I closed my eyes, steadying myself, then pushed calmness into the bond. "Sofia, listen, you don't have to beat yourself up about it."