Jake’s POV
The floor where Alexandra had bled out was spotless now, but the memory of her lifeless body lingered like a ghost. I stared at the polished wood, my jaw tight and my chest heavy with a mix of guilt and frustration. Her blood had soaked into the grooves of the floorboards, just as her presence had seeped into every corner of this kingdom.
I didn't mean to kill her. That much was true. My plan had been simple: scare her enough to keep her in line. But Alexandra was stubborn, and when she had threatened to kill Nicole, well, she had left me no other choice. My grip on the knife had tightened in anger, and before I realized what I had done, her blood was spilling over my hands.
I ran a hand through my hair, the weight of it all pressing down on me. This was not how things were
