Moore’s POV
When consciousness finally returned to me, it brought no relief—only the cold, heavy weight of reality.
My eyes fluttered open, the bright morning sun piercing through the gaps in the heavy velvet curtains and slicing across the room like a blade. The fever had broken, leaving my body feeling entirely hollow, as if the fire from the night before had burned away everything inside me. My skin was dry, but a lingering weakness anchored my limbs to the bed, making them feel as heavy as lead.
But the most prominent sensation was the deep, tight throb in my lower abdomen. The initial shock of the ink had faded into a dull, constant ache that flared every time I shifted my hips.
I looked to the side. The space beside me on the massive mattress was empty.
The black silk sheets wer
