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Chapter 10

Author: Nylah Porsild
last update Last Updated: 2024-11-02 21:05:41

As I closed the door to my bedroom, I allowed myself a single shaky breath. The formal dinner was finally over. Viktor’s words, his smug glances, his possessive touches—they still clung to me like a second skin, leaving me both exhausted and nauseous. I leaned against the door, pressing a hand to my abdomen, feeling a flicker of strength despite the suffocating tension that had filled the evening.

But the peace didn’t last long. I heard footsteps approaching, slow and deliberate, before my mother’s voice cut through the quiet.

“Irina,” she said, her tone unnervingly calm. “We need to have a word.”

She didn’t wait for an invitation. She simply pushed the door open and strode in, her gaze sharp and probing, her mouth set in a thin line. I straightened, forcing myself to look composed, even as my heart began to pound.

“Of course, Mother,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral.

She shut the door behind her, crossing her arms as she studied me. There was something different in her eyes tonigh
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