The door opened without a knock.

“I told you to go,” Ivy said sharply, still facing the window. Her hands were pressed against the cold glass, her shoulders tense. Her voice was rough, scraped raw from crying. “I don’t want to see Damien again.”

“I’m not Damien.”

The voice behind her was calm. Steady. Too steady for the state she was in.

Ivy’s breath caught. Her body went rigid before she even turned around.

Slowly, she faced the door.

Cassien leaned against the doorframe, one ...