He came back

In Jarl Palace. Europe.

Alysha’s hands shook as she folded the last of her clothes into her bag, her heart a chaotic mess of anger, regret, and longing. Today she would leave with Neil Holland, escaping the nightmare that had become her life.

From now on, she would live in the Holland family mansion, far from the twisted web of secrets and betrayals. But as she glanced around the room one last time, her gaze landed on something that stopped her in her tracks—a slip of fabric draped over the edge of the chair.

It was her night robe.

She froze, a shiver running down her spine as the memory washed over her. That night… she’d been dressed in her wedding gown, hadn’t she? The beautiful, delicate white lace that her mother had spent hours preparing for her. It had been a symbol of innocence, of a new beginning. But it was gone. What had Neil done with it? Had he burned it, destroyed it to erase any trace of the ordeal she’d endured? Or worse, had he discarded it like some cheap disguise, a