~Riya~Nobody was going to steal my joy today, not Darius, not Siarah, not the mating mark burning on my skin, and definitely not the memory of a kiss I was still pretending meant nothing.I was up before the sun, dressed before the birds, and out of that castle before anyone could ruin my mood with drama or breakfast politics. The hallways were empty when I left, Siarah's chamber was shut, the twins' cars already gone from the courtyard. Good. The less interaction the better. I had decided somewhere between staring at the ceiling at two in the morning and finally falling asleep at four that I was done carrying other people's chaos on my back. Today was mine.By the time Dorian's driver dropped me at Classy Dinnings, the morning crew was already inside setting up, and the sight of the restaurant stopped me at the entrance. Fresh paint, new signage, polished floors catching the light, everything rebuilt better than it was before the fire. Dorian never did anything halfway and standing
Last Updated : 2026-03-04 Read more