VIOLET’S POV
I thought I hated Merrin.
I was sure of it.
So why couldn’t I stop looking at him?
He slept beside me, stretched across silk sheets like a king who had never known fear. The candlelight caught in the sharp lines of his face, softening them just enough to make my chest ache. His dark hair was a mess against the pillow. His breathing, slow and steady, filled the quiet room.
Too calm.
Too peaceful.
His face… far too handsome for someone so cruel, was relaxed for once. No scowl. No tension carved into his brow. Just… quiet.
I hated that my chest felt tight.
I hated that my eyes kept tracing the familiar angles of his face.
The man who took my father from me.
The man who broke Zoey.
The man who broke me.
And yet… here I was. Awake. Watching him breathe as though he wer
