Juniper
My hands were trembling by the time I reached the corridor, but I kept walking until I found a quieter corner near the windows. I had spent so many years allowing Orion's opinion of me to determine how I felt about myself that standing up to him still felt strangely unfamiliar.
I wanted to believe I was becoming stronger. I wanted to believe that the woman who had fled her wedding in disgrace was finally learning how to fight back.
But there was a difference between knowing what I deserved and convincing myself that I could actually claim it.
My phone vibrated inside my bag. I pulled it out, expecting a message from Lucian or perhaps a reminder from Callie about the documents I needed to review. Instead, I found another message from Aria.
