Nicholas stood in stunned silence, staring after Diana as she walked away. The echo of her calm words—“Was that slap enough?"—kept ringing in his ears. Something about her expression had unsettled him. There had been no anger, no tears, no fear. Only a quiet finality that made his stomach twist.
He clenched his fists. Why wasn't she crying? Why wasn't she begging like before?
Victoria's soft sobs pulled him back. She stood at the doorway, wrapped in a blanket, looking pitiful and fragile. “Don't blame her, Nicholas," she whispered, her voice trembling. “It's my fault. I must have upset her somehow."
Her selfless act only fueled his guilt—and his pride. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You're too forgiving. She shouldn't have lost control like that."
Victoria shook her head,
