r of their marriage,

ant, untouched. Like he was still her mentor, like th

band an

lo

anyt

years to finally

ruly had

therwise. No one could ignore ev

l Volkov family, adored and spoiled

he kind of w

, here

per

ess

k away. Any sa

l young, sti

, one who would want her,

he co

watching his face in the d

else-calm, unbothered, as if not

rned in

, Gideon? Five years

for you to feel somet

am, to shake him,

ceful, unreadable expression, t

t-the night sh

after

next morning as if n

No disgust

th

was the cruell

Ophelia kept thinking about the g

had been the en

owered in wealth and affection

between designer gowns or deciding w

hing. Even Dahlia, the maid who had been

liness. No one knew how

t, where to put the ache, so all

eon was awake until sh

ars away, quick,

ed. 'Leg

ated, the

s fingers pressed gently into her arch, working

him to realise the truth-but, as if her body

rply. 'Left sid

teady, kneaded at th

dle of it, exhaustio

desperate thought f

give birth, h

*

Gideon was preparing

a heard exactly w

Princes

ho had once thro

fore he could walk awa

placidly. 'Ophe

really think she doesn't just want to see you? S

s mar

shot back, fol

few days ago, she had a fall. The palace

'You're not even

e thought bitterly, but

softening just a fractio

ing well either, that being eight months pregnant without a d

tised, never gained clinical experience, but she s

ideon didn't think t

ind, she could

ust another excuse t

let herself

ys, neatly folding in the shirts and s

o many times before, sh

*

Gideon's depa

e it was five years of buried frustration fi

the exhaustion-it all sat on h

ys bringing up Gideon, always rem

that would

t had the op

only made her feel more

d in a room with n

e gave up tryi

r a walk,' s

She grabbed Ophelia's co

wa

y outdoor activity she

t ridi

nt her winters snowboarding in the Alps, ice-skati

, the adrenaline, the fe

o

without someone fussing over h

*

ent happe

courtyard when Ophelia realis

for me,' she

dded and hu

hand bracing against her be

-out of