The door clicked shut.

That soft, final sound was louder than any scream. It echoed in my bones like a gunshot. My legs buckled beneath me, and I sank to the floor, arms wrapped around myself like I could hold in the pieces as I shattered.

How could everything go so wrong... so fast?

Just hours ago, we were wrapped in each other, swearing forever. He’d whispered promises against my skin, told me he loved me like it was the most natural truth in the universe. And I believed him—because I loved him too. I still did.

But now all that love had turned into a shadow. Suspicion. Doubt.

How do you defend yourself against something you don’t even remember? Against something thatmight not have happened—but could have?

The room still smelled like Axel. Like musk and eucalyptus and safety. But now it was laced with something sour. Grief.

I crawled to the bed, barely able to breathe, and pulled the sheets around me. They were still warm from his body. I buried my face in them, desperate for the comfort I knew was gone.

"Why would Ignacio do this to me?"

The name burned my lips.

He was my friend. My protector. Or at least... I’d thought so. He’d been there through everything—through the pressure, the ceremonies, the arranged marriage that had never been about love. He said hecared. That hewanted to help me.

Was that all a lie?

Had he violated me while pretending to be my savior?

The thought made my stomach churn. I crawled to the bathroom on trembling legs and barely made it to the toilet before the nausea exploded out of me. I heaved until there was nothing left, my whole body shaking.

It wasn’t just the physical reaction. It was the fear. The shame. Thedoubt.

Because what if Axel was right?

What if something had been taken from me—stolen, while I was too drugged or enchanted or broken to remember? What if Ignacio had claimed something that wasn’t his, and I was walking aroundoblivious?

And worse...

What if that was the reason Axel looked at me like a stranger now?

I sat on the cold bathroom tiles, my arms wrapped around my knees. For a while, I didn’t cry. I couldn’t. I justsatthere. Hollow. Numb. Like my heart had left with him.

Then, the tears came like a storm. I wept until I couldn’t breathe.

I don’t know how long I stayed on the floor. When I finally moved, the sun had started to rise, casting pale light across the tiles. I dragged myself to the sink and stared at the girl in the mirror.

My eyes were swollen. My lips chapped from crying. My skin pale.

But what scared me most was theemptinessin my gaze.

I turned on the tap and splashed cold water on my face, trying to wake myself up—trying tofeellike myself again. But the hollow ache in my chest didn’t go away.

I had to know the truth.

If Axel was wrong, I needed proof.

And if he wasright...

Then Ignacio was going to burn.

The door clicked shut.

That soft, final sound was louder than any scream. It echoed in my bones like a gunshot. My legs buckled beneath me, and I sank to the floor, arms wrapped around myself like I could hold in the pieces as I shattered.

How could everything go so wrong... so fast?

Just hours ago, we were wrapped in each other, swearing forever. He’d whispered promises against my skin, told me he loved me like it was the most natural truth in the universe. And I believed him—because I loved him too. I still did.

But now all that love had turned into a shadow. Suspicion. Doubt.

How do you defend yourself against something you don’t even remember? Against something thatmight not have happened—but could have?

The room still smelled like Axel. Like musk and eucalyptus and safety. But now it was laced with something sour. Grief.

I crawled to the bed, barely able to breathe, and pulled the sheets around me. They were still warm from his body. I buried my face in them, desperate for the comfort I knew was gone.

"Why would Ignacio do this to me?"

The name burned my lips.

He was my friend. My protector. Or at least... I’d thought so. He’d been there through everything—through the pressure, the ceremonies, the arranged marriage that had never been about love. He said hecared. That hewanted to help me.

Was that all a lie?

Had he violated me while pretending to be my savior?

The thought made my stomach churn. I crawled to the bathroom on trembling legs and barely made it to the toilet before the nausea exploded out of me. I heaved until there was nothing left, my whole body shaking.

It wasn’t just the physical reaction. It was the fear. The shame. Thedoubt.

Because what if Axel was right?

What if something had been taken from me—stolen, while I was too drugged or enchanted or broken to remember? What if Ignacio had claimed something that wasn’t his, and I was walking aroundoblivious?

And worse...

What if that was the reason Axel looked at me like a stranger now?

I sat on the cold bathroom tiles, my arms wrapped around my knees. For a while, I didn’t cry. I couldn’t. I justsatthere. Hollow. Numb. Like my heart had left with him.

Then, the tears came like a storm. I wept until I couldn’t breathe.

I don’t know how long I stayed on the floor. When I finally moved, the sun had started to rise, casting pale light across the tiles. I dragged myself to the sink and stared at the girl in the mirror.

My eyes were swollen. My lips chapped from crying. My skin pale.

But what scared me most was theemptinessin my gaze.

I turned on the tap and splashed cold water on my face, trying to wake myself up—trying tofeellike myself again. But the hollow ache in my chest didn’t go away.

I had to know the truth.

If Axel was wrong, I needed proof.

And if he wasright...

Then Ignacio was going to burn.

The door clicked shut.

That soft, final sound was louder than any scream. It echoed in my bones like a gunshot. My legs buckled beneath me, and I sank to the floor, arms wrapped around myself like I could hold in the pieces as I shattered.

How could everything go so wrong... so fast?

Just hours ago, we were wrapped in each other, swearing forever. He’d whispered promises against my skin, told me he loved me like it was the most natural truth in the universe. And I believed him—because I loved him too. I still did.

But now all that love had turned into a shadow. Suspicion. Doubt.

How do you defend yourself against something you don’t even remember? Against something thatmight not have happened—but could have?

The room still smelled like Axel. Like musk and eucalyptus and safety. But now it was laced with something sour. Grief.

I crawled to the bed, barely able to breathe, and pulled the sheets around me. They were still warm from his body. I buried my face in them, desperate for the comfort I knew was gone.

"Why would Ignacio do this to me?"

The name burned my lips.

He was my friend. My protector. Or at least... I’d thought so. He’d been there through everything—through the pressure, the ceremonies, the arranged marriage that had never been about love. He said hecared. That hewanted to help me.

Was that all a lie?

Had he violated me while pretending to be my savior?

The thought made my stomach churn. I crawled to the bathroom on trembling legs and barely made it to the toilet before the nausea exploded out of me. I heaved until there was nothing left, my whole body shaking.

It wasn’t just the physical reaction. It was the fear. The shame. Thedoubt.

Because what if Axel was right?

What if something had been taken from me—stolen, while I was too drugged or enchanted or broken to remember? What if Ignacio had claimed something that wasn’t his, and I was walking aroundoblivious?

And worse...

What if that was the reason Axel looked at me like a stranger now?

I sat on the cold bathroom tiles, my arms wrapped around my knees. For a while, I didn’t cry. I couldn’t. I justsatthere. Hollow. Numb. Like my heart had left with him.

Then, the tears came like a storm. I wept until I couldn’t breathe.

I don’t know how long I stayed on the floor. When I finally moved, the sun had started to rise, casting pale light across the tiles. I dragged myself to the sink and stared at the girl in the mirror.

My eyes were swollen. My lips chapped from crying. My skin pale.

But what scared me most was theemptinessin my gaze.

I turned on the tap and splashed cold water on my face, trying to wake myself up—trying tofeellike myself again. But the hollow ache in my chest didn’t go away.

I had to know the truth.

If Axel was wrong, I needed proof.

And if he wasright...

Then Ignacio was going to burn.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com