The clearing emptied slowly, the sharp echo of Damien’s final words still hanging in the air like a curse. Evelyn stood frozen, her hands trembling, her pride cracking at the edges. The red in Damien’s eyes had been the last thing she saw before she turned away. For the first time, she didn’t know what to say, what smile to fake.

Her engagement ring , that symbol of status, of power, had become her humiliation.

Without a word, she stormed past the gawking crowd, her boots crushing dry ...