"Where are your clothes?" Nickolas's voice cuts through the tense silence, his grip on my arm still firm and causing a sharp pang of pain to shoot through me. Despite the discomfort, I refrain from speaking, knowing that it’s best not to say anything to make the situation worse.

"Ember took them," I respond truthfully, not hesitating to divulge the facts of the matter. After all, it's not as though Nickolas would take any action against her for her actions.

"Hmm, she did," Nickolas ...