Eliza's POV
I stared at the door long after Nikolai left, my legs trembling, my lips still tingling from the unwelcome kiss he'd forced on me. I rubbed my lips with the back of my hand, trying to erase the sensation of his smug, possessive smile.
The bile of disgust rose in my throat, but it wasn't just about the kiss—it was everything. The pressure. The expectations. My father's demands.
Marry Nikolai. Those words echoed in my head, over and over again, leaving me feeling suffocated, as if the walls of the room were closing in on me.
How did this even happen?
I used to have some control over my life, didn't I? Now, every decision seemed to be slipping away from me, and I was caught in the middle of someone else's game.
Nikolai. My father. Even Cavin…