As I trudged back to my chamber, I tried to shake off the humiliation of it all. The nerve he had—to parade me around as if I were some kind of novelty act. The smirk on his face was still burned into my mind, as if taunting me every step of the way. I gritted my teeth, fists clenched by my sides.
Just as I turned a corner, I spotted someone familiar at the far end of the estate. Elara. I froze in place, barely breathing, as our gazes met. She was close enough that I could see her eyes flash for a split second, taking me in, but before I could even think to say something, she looked away, like I was nothing more than a passing shadow.
She looked… healthy.
