The following days were a whirlwind of emotions for Caroline. Damon’s presence was like a storm that she couldn’t escape, an endless cycle of cold intensity mixed with fleeting moments of warmth and vulnerability. Each encounter chipped away at her defenses, leaving her questioning everything she thought she knew about herself—and him.
And yet, no matter how her emotions wavered, one truth remained: she needed to escape.
Determined to find a way out, Caroline threw herself into her role as queen, using the guise of duty to explore more of the castle and grow closer to its staff. She spent hours with the head maid, a quiet but perceptive woman named Elara, who seemed to know every secret passage and hidden door in the castle. Caroline would often linger after her conversations with Elara,
