Carina's POV

My heart isn't made of stone, so how could I not feel the throbbing?

I step on my heels and look levelly at everyone in the studio; I don't feel aggrieved or panicked, and I endure. But anyone here who dares to violate my rights, I won't simply let him off the hook either. I agreed to go cold turkey for a while, but that doesn't mean I acknowledge the stigma.

Then Eric came up behind me and he gently told me he would help me. I suddenly was surrounded by tenderness that I didn't need to rely on, so all the aggression I had ignored before swelled...