Push and Pull...

Evelina leaned against the cold marble pillar outside the dining hall, gasping for breath. The chill of the stone did little to calm her as humiliation and betrayal swirled inside her.

Her hands shook at her sides, clenching and unclenching as she replayed the breakfast scene—Selene's taunts, the King's disdain, and the toast to a marriage that felt like a dagger to her heart for some unknown reason.

She barely registered the sound of footsteps until Damian's voice broke through the haze. "Eve."

She stiffened but didn't look at him as he approached.

His voice was softer than it had been all morning, a small change that could have made her feel better in some situations. But now, it only irritated her more.

"Are you okay?" he asked, stopping a few feet away, his silver eyes searching hers.