Cristine sat in the quiet drawing room of her mother’s estate, her hands tightly clasped in her lap. The weight of the decision she’d made still lingered heavily on her shoulders. Her conversation with Catalina earlier had been clear: if she ended things with Andrei and left his life, Catalina would ease the charges against him. It was the only way she could think of to protect him, even if it meant breaking her own heart in the process.
Her mother’s footsteps echoed in the hallway, sharp and deliberate. When Catalina entered the room, she looked as pristine and composed as ever, her lips set in a faint, triumphant smile. She carried herself with an air of victory, but Cristine’s steely glare didn’t waver.
“I did what you wanted,” Cristine said without preamble, her voice steady but fill
