The storm clouds gathered over the Blackthorn ridge like a shroud, heavy and dark, mirroring the turmoil that churned within my soul. The wind howled through the ancient pines, carrying whispers of secrets long buried, secrets that now threatened to tear everything apart. I stood on the balcony of the lodge, my hands gripping the wooden rail until my knuckles turned white, tears streaming down my face as the weight of the day's revelations crushed me. Victor had confessed everything, his voice breaking as he spoke of the hidden alliances, the deals he had made in the shadows to protect me. But one confession cut deeper than any blade: before me, there had been others, fleeting moments of passion that he now regretted with every fiber of his being. The ache in my chest was unbearable, a hea
