The last faint spark of warmth in her chest was completely shredded by those heartless words.
Solenne felt a searing pain explode in her heart, thousands of tiny, sharp aches surging through every inch of her body until she could barely breathe.
She stared silently at the man she had loved for half her life, and hated for half her life, then slowly smiled. There was no sound to it, no warmth at all, nothing but utter desolation and grief in her eyes, so stark and gut-wrenchingly hopeless.
"You're right."
She rose slowly to her feet, didn't spare Brando a single extra glance, turned on her heel, and walked step by step out of the study, vanishing into the whistling, howling blizzard outside.
Brando stared unblinkingly at her thin, gaunt back, so small it seemed it would merge with the
