Joanne’s POV
The silence was worse than laughter.
I clutched Alexander’s cloak to my chest, wishing I could sink into the marble floor and vanish. The sound of the ripping fabric still echoed in my ears. I had tried to cover myself, but it had been too late.
They had all seen it.
The King’s voice cut sharper than the tear.
“This is the royal table, not a stage for clumsy theatrics. Remove her.”
Heat burned my face, not from the lamps overhead, but from the humiliation that seared deeper than fire. I bent my head lower.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, the words escaping before I could stop them.
Aleander’s arm tightened around me, firm and unyielding. He didn't let me fall. He didn’t let them seem more. His cloak wrapped around me like night, shutting out the gleam of hungry and wa
