ISOLDE
To my surprise, Rowan sent them to my chamber even though it wasn’t immediately.
I smiled when I saw Eve and Marie bowing before me. I didn’t realize how much I had missed them. Over time, they had become more than just maids, they were the only people who made this golden prison bearable.
Even Arianna, with her sharp tongue and irritating boldness, had somehow earned my tolerance. Maybe because I’d learned she wasn’t cruel, she was just born that way.
Maybe I should have used this against Rowan earlier. Maybe if I had, he wouldn’t have dared to treat me like I was nothing. But I was a fool in love, protecting his secret like it was my own heart.
I had loved him too much to destroy him, even when he hurt me. I carried his secret in silence, believing he’d one day love me back
