Varin’s POV
The hallway outside her room was colder than I expected, the kind of chill that seeps into your skin. A soft hum of Christmas carols drifted faintly from somewhere in the mansion. How festive. A perfect contrast to the storm brewing in my chest.
I wasn’t sure what drove me to stand here. Maybe it was boredom. Maybe it was curiosity. Or maybe it was the simple fact that Zeraphine— my dearest Zeraphine—was becoming more unpredictable by the second. That irritated me. She had no right to act defiant, especially not after everything.
I pushed the door open without knocking, stepping inside as if I owned the place. The small lamp on her desk cast a warm glow over the room, and there she was—sitting by the desk, her head bent over something.
When she looked up and saw me, her exp
