Alice POV
My meeting with Victor did not go the way I wanted.
Not even close.
He kept throwing his weight around...his presence, his authority...like I had no choice but to bend. I stood my ground… barely. Every word I said felt like a battle I was struggling to win.
And yet, despite everything… he still affects me.
In ways I should have forgotten by now.
Especially when he said it....
"I adore you. I always have."
The words echo in my head, refusing to fade.
I was moved… then surprised… then utterly confused.
What does that even mean?
I don’t want to be adored. I want to be loved.
Or… do I?
No. That’s not even the point.
What I truly want is for this marriage to be cancelled. This isn’t about love… or adoration…
Or is it?
Ugh! I drag my fingers through my
