POV: Ariana

The shadows in the palace looked larger as I moved around the grand palace. Each step carried the weight of my secret, one that felt both exhilarating and suffocating. I felt trapped , my heart beating faster in my chest. Freddie's words echoed in my mind, a haunting melody that played over and over, binding me closer to the man I had initially thought of as simply an imposter, a man I hated with a passion.

He is cunning, charming in his own way, and always one step ahead of everyone. The way he moved, confident and poised, made me question everything I thought I knew about the...