EMILIA’S POV

The moment the door clicked shut, my whole body broke.

I didn’t even try to hold myself together. The second Maximus was gone, the strength in my spine vanished and the cloth slipped from my fingers. My knees hit the floor beside Damien’s bed, and I folded in on myself, burying my face in my hands.

The sob tore out of me too fast, too raw. I tried to swallow it back, but it was useless. My chest shook, my shoulders trembled, and the tears kept spilling like they’d been waiting for that one moment—just that one moment—for me to be alone.

Goddess, I hated this.

I hated...