Celeste's POVMy head snapped up. Alpha Rowan stood in the doorway, his expression carved in stone.I flinched instinctively, hiding the empty bowl behind me."You disgrace me," he spat. "Two decades of etiquette, wasted. If not for our reputation, you wouldn't even be standing here. Thank the Moon you aren't my blood. Serena learned in four years what you failed to learn in eighteen."I bowed my head, swallowing his venom without a word. Once, I would have protested. Once, I would have begged to be seen. But that Celeste was gone.I was not his daughter. I was a mistake they endured for appearances."You'll not eat at the family table again," Rowan growled. "You shame us. Stay in the kitchen where you belong."He stormed off, muttering under his breath, leaving the chef frozen and silent.I stared down at my hands, calm. His insults were nothing compared to what I'd heard in the Academy. Words could not wound me anymore.So I stayed in the kitchen, washing, chopping, listening to the
Last Updated : 2026-01-05 Read more