Elizabeth’s POV

The next few days passed quietly — too quietly.

No shouting, no surprise visits, no threats. Even May’s name stopped echoing through the school halls. For the first time in weeks, I could breathe.

Sebastian had become distant again, though not cold. He smiled less, spoke less. I could tell something was heavy on his mind, but he wouldn’t say it. Every time I asked, he’d only say, “Don’t worry about me.”

But how could I not?

The man who once brought ...