No matter how strong we become, no matter how confident in our abilities we may become, and no matter how far we think we have come through in our journey to recovery, one slap by mother reality can negate years of heartfelt effort, making it all seem meaningless.
Edmond had spent his entire life trying to avoid Isabella De Clare, a woman he considered a monster and a constant reminder of a deep, unhealed wound. Their shared history was a scandal so profound that everyone involved kept it a closely guarded secret. The events that connected Edmond and Isabella were known only to the 172nd graduating class of the Royal Academy, who referred to that period as Isabella's Reign of Terror.
