Maria.
The moment I stepped into the room, the air changed.
"Kneel!"
Davian's voice cracked through the space like a blade, cold and sharp, leaving no room for hesitation. Authority clung to every syllable, heavy enough to crush resistance before it could even form. My knees hit the floor almost instantly, the stone beneath them unforgiving, biting through the thin fabric of my dress. I didn't question him. I didn't dare to. In this place, obedience was survival.
My eyes remained lowered, but I didn't need to look up to know who sat beside him.
Vanessa.
She was curled into his side as though she belonged there, delicate and possessive all at once. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him, her fingers lazily tracing circles on his chest, claiming him in a way that made my stomach twist. When I finally dared to lift my gaze just enough, her eyes met mine, burning, triumphant, filled with nothing but pure disgust.
A shiver crawled up my spine.
