live her life without me. This was how it was supposed to be. How it needed to be. Long ago, we played as children and
friendship grew and I was falling, I had hopes of how things could have been. But then my parents were murdered, and things
changed.
I would only bring her pain and heartache. Cutting her off now would be for the best. Pushing away the very thing I wanted
more in this life—more than my next breath—to keep her safe. I would be the bad guy. Willingly. I would do it.
If it meant she despised me, then so be it.
Chapter 47
ORNELLA
I’d never experienced the air being sucked out of the room as much as I did at that moment. His words cut worse than if he
put a dagger in my heart. The slashes deep within my heart were enough to make me lose my stance, almost falling to my
knees. I never felt pain like this before. I felt like I was dying.
I somehow stayed upright, trying my best to keep my shoulders square as a sob caught in my chest. Why he was saying any
of these words, I would never understand. I didn’t deserve it. I’d done what he’d asked, the reckless girl I am, I followed his
words as if they were written by the Goddess herself.
“Be ready in the morning for training. We will have a banquet as the rest of the court shall be arriving. I don’t want a wife
who has drunk too much wine again. You are to be on on your best behaviour.”
“And what if I’m not?”
I didn’t mean for the words to slip out of my mouth, and I could see the twitch in his fingers when he realised what I said.
There wasn’t a need anymore to try and be kind it seemed. He did not care about my feelings, so why would I respect or care
about him?
“Or I will lock you in the tower for the rest of your days.”
He didn’t say anything else then as he turned to walk away, leaving me in the summer house to once again break down and
cry alone. This beautiful tranquil garden was slowly becoming the place where my shattered heart continued to further break.
It took another hour before I peeled myself off the floor. A heap of tears and heartache. I was too smart for this, to allow
someone to try and break me into small pieces.
Dorian had tried and failed.
So why was I allowing Nic to do it now?
Even without the words and guidance of my parents, I could hear my grandmother’s tough love speech rattling in my brain.
Reminding me of whose granddaughter I was. I may have been the daughter of my parents, but I was more like Lyla than my
mother.