The silence that fell between Linsy and Michael was not uncomfortable, but thick with unspoken thoughts. The grand ballroom swirled around them, a kaleidoscope of color and sound, but at their small, secluded round table, it felt as if they were in the eye of a storm.

Linsy finally broke the quiet, her voice soft yet firm. "Kairo was right, you know. It's a lesson I learned long ago. Cruelty is a boomerang. It always finds its way back to the one who threw it." She wasn't just speaking of ...