ADELE’S POV

The garden had always been my safe place. A quiet corner of the palace where the flowers never judged and the wind never asked questions I didn’t want to answer. Today, though, even the beauty around me felt dull—muted like my heart.

I sat on the stone bench Emilia loved so much, the one tucked beneath the shade of a huge flowering tree. Light filtered through the leaves, warm and soft, but I couldn’t feel any of it. My hands twisted together in my lap. My chest felt tight, like someone had wrapped invisible fingers around my ribs and was slowly squeezing.

I didn’t want to cry again....