Raina sat quietly on the cold marble floor, doing everything she could to steady her breath—but her body had a mind of its own. Her chest rose and fell in sharp, uneven bursts, and no matter how tightly she pressed her hands together, they wouldn’t stop trembling. A chill had settled in her spine, sinking into her bones. The opulence of the auction hall—the chandeliers, velvet curtains, gold trimmings—felt so distant now, like the ghost of a dream.

She wrapped her arms around herself ...