Calista stepped into her shop, her chest heaving with the weight of her emotions. The ride back had been unbearable, tears streaking her cheeks like a silent storm. Her father’s words echoed in her mind, each syllable like a dagger twisting in her chest.

“Leave Ranya. Let Signoral have him.”

She scoffed bitterly, the thought alone igniting a fresh wave of anger. How could her father, the man who had always been her rock, suggest something so ludicrous? For a fleeting moment, she had thought Signoral might have coerced him into saying such a thing, perhaps through threats or manipulation.

But no.

The look in his eyes had told her...