The night air felt too thick. Too warm and too heavy, as I stumbled back into the corridor, my pulse hammering in my throat. My lips, they still burned from Angelo's kiss. The ghost of it clinging to me like a sin I couldn't wash away.
"Ravić..." I whispered, the name barely leaving my tongue. "Please, I'm sorry."
The hallway stretched endlessly before me, shadows swaying with the flicker of the torches. I pressed a trembling hand against the wall, steadying myself. My skin felt flushed, breaths shallow, my chest tightening. It wasn't just shock. It felt like there was something deeper, humming beneath my skin, slow and feverish.
I moved forward, the hem of my gown whispering against the marble floor. Every step felt dreamlike, heavy, like the world was slipping out of focus. I could still taste the faint trace of blood and desire on my tongue, shame coiling low in my stomach.
