MARCO'S POV I heard the wind rustling through the leaves, but all I could focus on was Elise, standing there, just a few feet in front of me. Her face was half-lit by the silver glow. Her long, dark hair flowed over her shoulders and her eyes—those beautiful brown eyes I’d loved for as long as I co
ELISE'S POV I made my way out of the woods with Marco’s words echoing in my mind. He had asked me to leave with him, to walk away from all of this—away from Ferris. I knew why he wanted me to go. I could see the fire in his eyes every time he looked at me, the way his fingers would linger on my sk
ELISE'S POV I woke up to the soft sound of Ferris breathing beside me. For a moment, I lay there, soaking in the warmth of his body against mine. His arms were wrapped around me, just as they had been when we fell asleep. I missed this—waking up next to him, feeling his presence so close. It felt l
That sent a wave of warmth through me. I felt special—like I was the only one who truly knew him. The only one who got to see him like this, vulnerable and carefree. “I’ll be back soon,” he promised, reluctantly pulling away and standing up. “Try not to start any more pillow fights while I’m gone.”
ELISE'S POV The storage cabin was empty. For a moment, I just stood there, blinking at the vacant shelves where crates and bags of game should have been stacked high. Everyone else around me shared the same shocked expressions, murmuring among themselves. Everyone was filled FL with disbelief as t
ELISE'S POV I stood rooted to the spot, wondering where it all went wrong. I could hear their accusations all around me. Each whisper, each glare, weighed on me, until the weight felt almost unbearable. "She was working with Marco," one person muttered "It's obvious" "Yes" someone else added "T
ELISE'S POV I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I was dressed in an fancy gown I’d chosen for the feast, but my heart felt as heavy as the jewels adorning my neck. I was supposed to happy—this night marked a celebration of our return to the palace. The hunt was over and that was something to c
FERRIS' POV For me, the feast was filled with forced smiles and hollow toasts. The noblemen all clamored for a spot in my line of sight as usual. Everywhere I turned, one of them was reaching out with some meaningless gesture—handing me a goblet, pouring me more wine, speaking far too loudly about