Her fingers brushed against the doorknob to her room, trembling slightly as she pushed it open. The room was spacious and luxurious, but it felt hollow—like a gilded cage designed to remind her of the distance between her and Markus.

She closed the door behind her, the soft click echoing louder in her ears than she expected. She pressed her back against it, her body slowly sinking to the floor as the weight of her emotions bore down on her. She hugged her knees to her chest, burying her face ...