"I cannot believe you would stoop so low, Dravon, and actually keep dating this thing." Queen Lorelei's voice was ice, each word clipped and precise.
Dravon did not dare meet her. His eyes were fixed on the cold marble at his feet as shame crawled up his throat. He had been disgraced in front of the royal family who should one day call him king.
"Mum, I'm sorry, okay. I just... I really love..." He fumbled for words until Lorelei cut him off, scorn painted across her face.
"Love what? Her? Come now, Dravon. Be realistic. That girl could never be Crown Princess. She was never, and could never be, wife material. It's a mercy she knows her place and stayed a side piece." Queen Lorelei turned her final insult toward Lexi and let it hang like a gauntlet.
A single tear tracked down Lexi's cheek. Her face was stunned, then molten with fury.
Lorelei's eyes slid back to Dravon, disappointed in a way that felt like a verdict. "I really thought I raised you better. I suppose I failed as a mother." She turned on her heel and left, her cloak whispering like a threat.
Dravon lunged after her and grabbed her arm, desperate. "Mum, please, just listen—"
He was literally on his knees begging, but his mum wouldn't even spare him a glance; she flung his arm away.
He fell to his knees in the corridor, hands splayed on the marble, tears wetting the floor. "Where did I go wrong? What did I do to deserve this?" His voice was small, broken.
One by one the relatives retreated, shaking their heads, unwilling to remain part of the spectacle. The chamber emptied until only Lexi, Levi and Dravon were left.
"Dravon…" Lexi rushed to him, reaching out with trembling hands.
But instead of comfort, Dravon's face twisted with rage. He shoved her so hard she stumbled to the ground. "Stay away from me! We can't be together. I can't do this anymore. The cost, it's too much. Too much for me!"
He gripped his head, pacing, broken and furious. Deep down, he didn't mean the words. He still loved her. Just… not enough to fight for her now.
"We can run. We can leave Florez and start a new," Lexi begged, getting to her knees despite the sting of humiliation. "We don't have to let her decide our lives."
Levi watched from the doorway, arms folded, his expression unreadable. He felt a pang of pity for Dravon, then hardened. After everything Dravon had put him through, pity felt wasted.
"She's delusional if she thinks he'll abandon everything for her, especially after tonight," Levi muttered under his breath, voice low and cruel.
Dravon froze. Her words hung in the air, absurd. Reckless.
A bitter laugh escaped him. "Run away? Do you even hear yourself? I can just leave my kingdom and everything for you. I can't just abandon my duty for love, I'm not that irresponsible." His eyes hardened, voice cutting. "You know what? You should leave Florez. Whatever this was… this fling, it's over."
He didn't wait for her reply. He stormed off, his footsteps thunderous as he vanished into the shadows of the palace.
Levi honestly couldn't care less any more about the drama. He looked at her pathetically, rolled his eyes, and made his way to his room.
Lexi saw everything, how Levi was making fun of her, how the tables had turned.
Lexi's tears blurred her vision, but she saw it clearly—his mockery, the servants whispering behind their hands, their laughter echoing in her ears.
Mascara streaked down her face as she stood, fists trembling, chest heaving.
Her voice came out hoarse, but steady. "I'll make you all pay. Every last one of you. The royal family of Florez will regret this day."
She stormed out of the palace, ignoring the whispers, the stares, the laughter.
Outside, the night air hit her like ice. Her life had shattered. But one burning thought remained:
She would make them suffer.
Three months earlier...