Chapter 69

It had been a week since I arrived here, and the days seemed to stretch on endlessly, each one more suffocating than the last. Clyde had wasted no time in making his intentions clear—he wanted me to marry him.

I hadn’t said yes, not immediately. But how could I outright refuse when the truth had come crashing down on me like a tidal wave? My father, ruthless and unyielding, was hell-bent on destroying Carmine, all because of me. The thought of Carmine fighting a battle he hadn't asked for, one he was drawn into just because he cared for me, twisted my insides with guilt. Every day I spent here, isolated and under Clyde's watchful eye, only amplified the helplessness gnawing at me.

And now, as I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, the weight of everything pressed down on me. The evening light filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across the room. This was the time when Clyde and I were supposed to have dinner together, a routine that had quickly become a daily rit