Sophia’s POVStill on the floor, the sting of Madame Caliste’s slap burned hotter than the rage pulsing through my veins.My lip throbbed, my cheek stung, but worse than the pain was the humiliation. Kneeling on cold marble like some street mutt. No one had ever dared to treat me like that. Not even my father. And now here I was, trembling, eyes wide as her voice sliced through the air again.“Behave,” she said, turning on her heel with military grace. “And I might forget your existence. Misbehave, and I’ll erase it.”Then she walked out. Like a queen.The silence she left behind was heavier than any slap. I sat frozen, hands fisting the edge of the bedsheet, my nails digging into fabric. My chest rose and fell fast. I didn’t cry—De Lucas didn't cry. But one tear slipped down my cheek anyway. Not from weakness.From fury.~My hands were shaking as I scrubbed my face in the bathroom. I ignored the blood at the corner of my mouth, cleaned the smear from my lip, rinsed again, and again.
Last Updated : 2025-06-07 Read more