Barlo

way. The wound in my side throbbed with a persistent, dull ache, a constant reminder of the night my world had completely fractured. My body grew weaker, the anem

tone in my gut. He was taking

the light from the hallway. My breath hitched. He looked tired, the sharp lines of

morse?-in his gaze. The sight of him, the familiar scent of his cologne that still lingered in the

s soft voice called from

hardened instantly, the brief moment of vuln

tempt. "Pathetic. Wallowing in here, trying to make me

nto this family, taught you how to behave. I gave you the name of an A

a world I never asked to join, dressed me up like a

don' t be so cruel. She' s been through a lot." She then turned to me, her eyes holding no sympathy, only

e a pardon, but I knew it was just another move in her twisted game.

a soft purr. She held a spoonful of congee to

of the spoon against my lips, the simple act of being fed, was a comfort I hadn

ss washed over me. My eyelids felt like lead weights. The r

was that her smile looke

the air was wrong. It wasn' t the light floral of my own room; it was

. I was in his

was

eet, clutching it to my chest. Ambrose was asleep beside me, his

othes were in a heap on the floor. As I fumbled to pull on my dress, my weak legs gav

rushed ag

fleeting, ghost of a t

, soft and unguarded. There was a flicker of something in their depths-a f

as if burned, scrambling to my feet and pulling my dr

ing sound came f

Her hand was pressed to her mouth, her eyes wide w

could you?" she whispe

mbrose had launched himself out of bed, his face a mask of pure fur

m. "You drugged me! You disgusting, manipulative littl

rt more was the look in his eyes. There was no trace of the man who had

at. I had to know. "Did you ever love me?" I whispered, m

flash of agony, of conflict. But Katharine' s

No," he said, the word a shard

er. "Let me be clear. Even if you were standing naked in front of

owered my head, staring at the floor, fighting with every ounce of my be

snarled, not to me, but to the air.

and gentle touches. "Ambrose, darling, don' t be

t out." He turned to a servant who had appeared in the doorway. "Hav