The grand staircase of the Golden Swan loomed ahead, a polished mahogany ascent into the unknown. Marissa swallowed hard, the dry click in her throat echoing the nervous rhythm of her heart. She could feel the weight of the empty establishment pressing down on her, the silence amplifying every step she took.
She reached the landing and stood before the heavy door of the private room Prince Liam had claimed. She paused, placing a hand on her chest to steady her breathing.
"Don't react," she told herself sternly, a mantra against the panic rising in her gut. "Don't show fear. Don't show weakness. Don't show emotions. He is a predator. If he smells blood, he will bite. He will tear you apart."
She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the cool, stale air of the hallway. She adjusted her fur robe, pulling it tighter around her shoulders as if it were armor against the cold gaze she knew awaited her. She smoothed a stray lock of hair.
