Aeris’s pov
My heart ached with the weight of betrayal, the pain so sharp it felt like it would burst from my chest. Yet, I held it in. I wouldn’t allow Arabella or Nathaniel the satisfaction of seeing how deeply their treachery wounded me. Each step I took out of that cursed hall felt heavier than the last, but I moved forward, not allowing myself to falter. I knew things would never be the same between Arabella and me—she had taken her betrayal to a point of no return. I had tried to fix it, for the sake of our father, to honor his legacy and allow his soul to rest in peace knowing his daughters had found harmony. But that hope, like everything else, was a lie I had told myself.
I wanted to cry, to scream, to release the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm me, but I couldn’t. No
