She kept going to that restaurant across from Kingsley's mansion every single day for almost a week. It had become her silent ritual: order something small, sit by the window, and wait. Wait for the man who once swore he'd fight for her. Wait for the truth to show itself in the flesh.

And then, finally, it happened.

One late morning, just as she was stirring the last of her coffee with a trembling spoon, the mansion gates opened. Her heart jumped. A sleek black car rolled out ...