{IRIS}
Three days had passed since my confrontation with Caroline, yet the jealousy coiled inside me like a living thing—tight, venomous, and unrelenting.
Time did nothing to dull it. Sleep offered no reprieve. Every waking hour only sharpened the ache.
I knew—goddess, I knew—that none of this was truly her fault.
Caroline was a victim too.
And yet… knowing that did nothing to soothe the storm raging in my chest.
The emotions were too intense, too unforgiving. They scraped against my ribs, demanding release, demanding an answer I did not yet possess.
Right now, logic was useless. Sympathy was hollow.
What I needed was closure.
I needed to understand why.
Why Lord Vladimir had chosen her.
Why he had saved her.
If I could not grasp the reason—if I could not place meaning to his choice—then I would never be able to face Caroline again.
Not without drowning in bitterness. Not without shame.
