23. It’s Not Goodbye

Avery’s POV

Several quiet days drifted by, marked by a surprising absence of incidents, pain, or punishment. The oppressive presence of Wolfsbane had finally vacated my system. Clarity returned to my mind, the constant ache in my body subsided, and my wounds—those visible reminders of past torments—had fully healed.

Each day unfolded with the same monotonous rhythm. I worked tirelessly in the kitchen from the early morning light until the shadows of evening stretched long and dark. Night after night, Liam himself would escort me from the clatter of pots and the warm kitchen smells back to the solitude of his bedroom after his familial dinners. Thankfully, I managed to avoid running into his father or brother during these transitions. Their absence was a small mercy, for each encounter with them was like brushing against a dark cloud of malevolence.

Liam and I existed in a strange bubble of mutual disinterest. Since the night he handed me a bag of M&Ms—a token laden with bitter memorie