Eve could feel her heart breaking, bit by bit, with every step she took.
It was a quiet, painful shattering—like glass under silk.
She had always known that love could be cruel.
But she never imagined it would feel so empty. So one-sided.
He didn't want her. Not in the way she wanted him.
And that truth—no matter how gently it was delivered—still cut deep.
She had almost reached the doors of the guest courtyard when she heard it:
"Eve…"
Riley's voice stopped her in her tracks.
Her breath caught.
Her fingers curled at her sides. She didn't dare turn around yet.
She didn't trust her face not to betray her emotions.
Slowly, hesitantly, she turned just enough to see him over her shoulder.
Her eyes were wide, uncertain, and her heart thudded in her chest with a flicker of something she had almost buried—hope.
"Yes?" she whispered, barely able to keep her voice steady.
Riley was still holding the carving in one hand.
