For the first time since their forced marriage began, Amelia woke with no doubt in her heart.
Alexander’s arm was heavy around her waist, his breathing steady against her neck. He hadn’t just said the words—he had meant them. She could feel it in the way he held her, the way he looked at her now without walls, without hesitation.
For a brief, blissful moment, the world felt simple.
But simplicity never lasted in the Stone empire.
⸻
Two days later, Amelia received a message from an unknown number. It was a photo—grainy, taken from a distance, but unmistakable.
Alexander. Victoria. At a hotel bar.
Her stomach twisted.
Beneath it, a single line glared back at her: You can never trust him. He belongs to someone else.
Amelia’s hands trembled as she lowered the phone. She knew Alexander
