Ophelia and Valerio had sat with each other, roamed through the palace grounds, ran through the garden mazes, and talked about everything under the moon until the late hours of the afternoon.
And when she fell asleep against his shoulder after crying her eyes out some more, Valerio had picked her up again and carried her back to his own room before tucking her in his bed.
He sat by her side as she slept, watching the way her eyes were now swollen because of all the tears she had shed and the way Rowan's grip on her neck had been so harsh that the marks of his fingers were still visible on his skin.
His blood boiled at the thought of anyone handling her like that. She did not deserve to be treated that way, no matter how much she loved the man.
And Valerio could not help but feel th
