The air in the master suite was cool, but the tension between the husband and wife remained as thick as ever. Chloe sat propped against the pillows, her strength returning in small, agonizing increments. She looked at Xavier, expecting a lecture or perhaps another cold dismissal, but instead, his voice sliced through the quiet with a sharp, familiar edge.
"What do you think you’re doing getting up?" Xavier demanded, his tone like a whip. "Lie back down and don't even think about moving."
Chloe bristled. She had nearly burned alive in his garden under his orders, and now he was barking at her as if she were a disobedient child. She wondered if he had any idea how close she had come to death, or if he even cared. "I need to use the restroom," she countered, her voice raspy but firm. "It’s
