MELISSA’S POV
My life was in a big mess.
Everything I had worked for felt like it was slipping away, one thread at a time. The pageant was gone, my reputation was under attack, and every time I tried to breathe, it felt like the walls were caving in on me. To make things worse, Kat would be going back to place, and with her gone, I’d lose the only sense of comfort I had left. I couldn’t afford to keep pretending everything was fine.
I needed answers.
And I needed them from Marco.
The problem was… he hadn’t sent me the terms of leaving. No notice, no conditions, no explanation. Just silence. I didn’t know if his silence was strategy or punishment. But one thing was clear—if I didn’t face him, I’d drown in uncertainty.
So, with my chest tight and my mind restless, I made my way to the
