ZARA:
Oh my goddess, what just happened? I almost—ahhhhhh… I can’t even think of it. The ground should open and swallow me whole. Because uhmmm… I almost… I touch my lips.
I had run. Like a coward. If Ragnar hadn’t come in, we would have—
I told myself it was for the best, that Ragnar’s interruption saved me from doing something unforgivable, something I might regret. But deep down, the truth clawed at me: if he hadn’t walked in, I wouldn’t have stopped.
And I missed his touch so desperately.
I barely remembered how my feet carried me down the corridors. I ran like I was being chased by a tiger, my arms wrapped tight around myself as if that could smother the heat consuming me from within. My body screamed, demanding relief.
But I couldn’t—Moon Goddess, I couldn’t.
By the time I stu
