Gaara woke to the harsh rhythm of fists pounding against his door, a sound that refused to die down. From the ferocity alone, he already knew who dared to tear through the fragile quiet of dawn. None of the household staff would ever dream of waking him in such a barbaric way. Which meant there was only one culprit his older sister, Amber Maxwell.

“Wake up, you lazy brat!” she shouted, her voice slicing through the wood like a blade. “Open this door right now, or I’ll break it ...