Luce

I stood by the entrance of the dining hall, my fingers trembling against the silk of the black halter-neck dress his maids had forced me into.

It was flimsy, barely a layer of protection, and every time I moved, the fabric clung to my skin in ways that made me want to disappear into thin air. I didn’t have any underwear on.

The last time I’d seen Angelo, he had stripped me to my bra and panties and walked out without a word. I’d waited in that cold study, certain he was coming back to finish what he started, but instead, he’d sent silent women with blank faces to...