The next morning.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the heavy curtains, piercing the opulence of the room with blades of golden light.

On the broad, plush bed, a woman lay motionless. Her dark hair splayed across the pillows, her body marked with faint bruises and delicate traces of last nights fervormarks mirrored by the rosy glow still lingering on her cheeks.

When Rose opened her eyes, the exhaustion was still a weight she couldnt shake. She ...