Winter’s POV

“What are the grounds for your objection?” Fadel asked again, his voice calm to the point of cruelty. He did not look at me. His attention remained fixed ahead, posture relaxed, as if my words were nothing more than background noise in a room he already owned.

“Nobody should be forced to be with anyone. It isn’t right,” I said, my fingers curling into the fabric of my dress. The hall felt too large, too cold, every breath echoing louder than it should have.

“And that ...