Chapter 286

AURELIA’S POV I shut the door of my room softly, but it still sounded loud in the silence. The echo of the courtyard followed me inside—their voices, their steady gazes, Kael’s clipped words, Darius’s silence. And beneath it all, the truth I could no longer run from: I was alone. I pressed my back to the door, sliding down until I was sitting on the cold floor. My fingers trembled against my knees. For a long moment, I just sat there, staring at the rug, my chest tight and aching. I thought of everything. The kidnapping. The accusations. The wedding date being ripped from my hands. My father’s eyes, cold and unyielding. Seraphina’s smirk, a blade disguised as a smile. And then, Darius and Kael. The only two who had made me feel less like a pawn, more like a person—even if it was just for a heartbeat. And now even they weren’t mine. They belonged to Draven. I lifted my hands to my face, pressing my palms over my eyes until darkness swam behind them. What did I ever do to deserve this? T