Valerie's POV

I hurled my pocket mirror at the wall, watching it crash and scatter into glittering shards across the marble floor.

The sound didn’t satisfy me—it just made the rage twist tighter in my chest. I groaned, dragging my fingers into my hair, clawing at my scalp like that would somehow calm the storm inside me.

“Lady Valerie,” Ella’s soft voice trembled behind me. “You’re tearing the room apart. That’s like… the tenth thing you’ve broken today. Please calm down.”

I spun toward her. “Shut up, Ella! Do you even know the weight of the situation? How can you stand there and tell me to calm down?!”

Her eyes...