"So... it was all a lie? Everything I knew, everything I've been told, it was all a lie." Jasmine's voice was barely above a whisper, but the weight of her words hung heavy in the air. Her eyes, clouded with pain, bore into Nicolai's, searching for something, anything that could make sense of it all.

Nicolai hesitated, then reached for her hand, gently placing his over hers. He expected her to pull away, to reject the comfort he was offering. But she didn't. What he didn't know was how ...