A woman dressed in deep red glides into the room without uttering a single word.

Her gown hugs her body like liquid flame, embroidered in threads of black that shimmer like oil in candlelight. The fabric trails behind her, whispering against the stone floor as if it remembers every footstep ever taken in this room. Her presence is commanding. The kind of woman who doesn't need an introduction because power announces her before she speaks.

My breath catches as I realize I’m no longer with ...