The days following Scarlett’s meeting with Ethan in the stables passed in a blur. She hadn’t gone back to see him since their intense conversation, choosing instead to let the dust settle. The raw emotion of that encounter lingered in her mind, but she had resolved to move forward with her plans.
Scarlett spent the next five days gathering the courage to follow through on a decision she had been considering for a few days since she returned—a decision that could change the trajectory of her life once again. She had applied to the same military academy Ethan attended, knowing it was a place that would teach her the skills she needed to protect herself and those she cared about.
Her father’s reluctance to train her had left her with little choice. If she couldn’t learn from him, she wo
