Eliza's pov
The moment I saw Cavin's message, my heart stilled, then thundered against my ribs so violently I thought it might burst. **"You will be punished."** The words flashed on my screen like a warning, burning into my mind.
I stared at the text, barely breathing, my fingers numb as I held the phone. Punished for what? For being with Nikolai? For wanting to forget everything for a moment? A wave of guilt washed over me, though I wasn't sure if it was for being with Nikolai or for how Cavin made me feel—how he had always made me feel.
I threw the phone onto my bed, backing away from it as if it were something dangerous, something that could hurt me just by looking at it. My mind raced. Why would he send something like that? Was he serious? And what did he mean by **punished**?