Chapter 173

ARIANA'S POV

The words from the letter echoed in my mind like a relentless drumbeat. As long as you stay married to her, your case is lost.

I felt dizzy, the world tilting on its axis. I needed air. I stumbled to the kitchen, pulling a bottle of water from the refrigerator. The cold liquid slid down my throat, but it did nothing to quench the panic rising inside me. My hands were shaking. I gripped the edge of the counter, trying to steady myself. The room seemed to blur and shift, the walls closing in on me. I took a deep breath, then another, but it felt like I couldn't get enough oxygen.

I turned on the faucet and splashed cold