Mara’s POV

It had been days since I had seen him.

Days since Elias had come home, since his engagement had been announced online, and the silence in the mansion had grown almost unbearable. Each morning, I wake to the same hollow truth, one that still felt unreal, still felt new to me:

Elias was engaged.

Now, with my phone in my hand, I stared at the pictures trending online—him and his supposed fiancée seated in a fancy restaurant, their faces caught in a moment that looked far too intimate for my sanity.

Was his silence acceptance?

Was he agreeing to the marriage without resistance?

I hated it.

Hated that...