It's my wedding dress

WINTER'S POV

Jess's words kept echoing in my head. I had always known that Rafael was a tyrannical ruler; his reputation preceded him. But I never imagined that he had killed his mate. I had also never known about the curse that plagued him until now. In contrast, Slade was nothing like that. While one could argue that he was cursed, he wasn't mad, nor was he a murderer of his spouse. Slade was loving—the kind of mate anyone would wish for, and...

"You still need to get dressed," a voice interrupted my thoughts.

Startled, I turned around to see who had entered. My eyes widened as I recognised my mother standing by the room door. When did she arrive? I must have been so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice her presence.

"Winter," she said, walking further into the room.

"Mother," I replied, stepping into her embrace. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment before opening them again.

"I'm sorry..."

"Why?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Leading me to the bed, she gently sa