The humiliation still clung to him like a second skin. Every laugh, every mocking glance from his father’s associates replayed in his head. And worst of all—her. The way she looked at him, as though he were a child, throwing tantrums while she sat on his father’s throne.
He could not let it stand.
That night, while the estate was quiet and the air thick with the smell of rain, he waited in the shadows of the hallway near her chambers. He knew she would return from the terrace soon—he’d watched her, lounging with a glass of wine, basking in her little victory.
When she finally entered, she didn’t even flinch at finding him waiting. Instead, she paused, tilted her head, and smiled as if amused. “You should be careful. Lurking in dark corners makes you look desperate.”
“Don’t play with me
