River’s feet dragged against the floor as she made her way toward her bedroom, every step heavy with exhaustion and humiliation. The echo of Isabelle’s words at dinner still rang in her ears, slicing through her like a thousand needles. Her body ached—not just from the day’s training, but from the emotional wounds her sister had so publicly reopened.
She reached the door to her chamber, heart weary, eyes stinging with unshed tears.
I just need to breathe. To be alone.
But the moment she stepped into the room, her breath hitched.
His scent was everywhere—dark, sharp, masculine.
And then she felt it.
A suffocating aura, heavy and consuming, thick with dominance and rage.
Heiko.
She barely had time to turn when a blur of movement caught her off guard. In the next second, her back sla
