Chapter Twenty-five
Thalina
I couldn’t move. My mind raced, my heart thudding as Evander’s words echoed in my head: four other ladies before me. I wasn’t special. I was just another woman to him, another body, another contract signed and forgotten once my time was up.
The euphoria I felt moments ago vanished, replaced by a bitter mix of emotions—disbelief, confusion, anger… and something else I couldn’t name.
I swallowed hard, feeling a knot tighten in my throat. How did I let myself get swept into this? It wasn’t supposed to be this complicated. It was just supposed to be fun—a thrill, something reckless. And yet, here I was, my heart aching in a way that it shouldn’t.
I forced myself to breathe, trying to steady the whirlwind inside me. I had to leave, to think. If I stayed, I’d onl
