As waves of ridicule washed over them, Sophie Walker felt a crushing weight settle deep in her chest. Each laugh, each mocking glance, struck like a needle—small on its own, yet unbearable in number. The air itself seemed heavier, thick with judgment and unspoken hostility, as though the entire courtyard had tilted against her alone. Her shoulders tensed, and for a fleeting moment, she wished she had never come back to this place.
“I’m sorry…” she whispered, her voice barely audible beneath the noise. “Dylan Brooks, this is all my fault.”
She did not dare look at him. Guilt clung to her like a second skin, heavy and suffocating. She could almost hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, loud enough to drown out reason, loud enough to convince her that she truly deserved every sneer ai
