NOVARIA'S POV
Sylvester returned after fifteen good minutes.
The moment he stepped into the living room, his expression softened.
I was still standing where he'd left me, clutching Angela tightly against my chest. My eyes were swollen from crying, my cheeks stained with dried tears.
Embarrassment burned through me. Not because of the punishment. Not even because I'd been forced to stand facing the wall like a child. I felt awful because Sylvester had been upset with me. That hurt far more.
I regretted acting that way, but it was kind of out of my control. Sometimes I just felt like it.
The second our eyes met, all the stubbornness that had possessed me earlier disappeared completely.
Sylvester crouched in front of me until we were eye level. His large hand gently tilted my chin upw
