is fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. The sound of his own breathing was harsh i

doctor said softly. I'm sorry,

d into granite. He turned and punched the wall. Th

arch, placed a restraining

out, he said, his voice devoid of all emotion. It

trained. Think of the family's reputation. The s

. His eyes met his grandmother's, a clear threat in their depths. She leaves, or I will ruin her.

he unyielding fury in his face, and knew h

y with defeat. We'll send her awa

walked towards Carmelita's room, leavin

ere she had been left, a fragile statue in the cold, cavernous ballroom. The g

d by a weary disappointment. You're going abro

ith the dread coiling in her stomach. What Wh

not thinking clearly. The media will have a field day. It's better if you're gone. She

liation. My place Aurora whispered, her voice crac

for just a moment with something that looked

devoid of pity. It was my arrangement. A promise I made

the separate rooms, the polite distance-was a lie. She wasn't just disliked; she was an un

ucted, her tone becoming business-lik

ep, a cold, heavy thing that had settl

everything seemed foreign and cold. It had never been her home. On the nightstand sat a framed photo from their wedding day. Jose

of clothes, a toothbrush, her wallet. Her mind was a blank vortex of humiliation. The weight of b