Meera’s POV
I wasn’t expecting anything that evening.
The day had been long, and I had spent most of it wandering the villa with restless energy. I had skimmed through half a novel, rearranged the flowers in my room, and even tried writing in my journal, but nothing seemed to quiet my thoughts. The only thing I truly wanted was to hear my mother’s voice, to feel Sofia’s sharp-tongued comfort, to be reminded that my world hadn’t shrunk to these gilded halls.
When Damien came to my room just after dusk, I thought he was taking me for another walk around the gardens. He stood in the doorway, impossibly composed in a perfectly tailored suit, his expression unreadable but his eyes glittering with something electric.
“Come with me,” he said.
I frowned, half-amused. “Where?”
“There is somet
