"You saved me. That was your first mistake. Now I'll spend every day making sure you never regret it whether you want me to or not."

"Aww, someone had a shitty day. Come on, drink your beer first like a good boy. After that, you can come inside... and I’ll help you forget everything. Starting with your pants, maybe?"

"Darling, stop pretending you're not thrilled I chose you, that cheap suit screams 'desperate for a real woman' and those sad eyes say you've never been this useful before. Now smile, husband...

"Since you’ve already witnessed the chaos behind my mask, you’re officially trapped with me. Congratulations, you’re now my lifelong witness. No resignations, no escape clause, deal with it!"...

"The world only loves the shine, but I’m empty inside. Underneath this perfect mask, I’m just a girl who’s terrified and needs you to remember her."

“Answer me right, this time, and I’ll become whatever you wish me to be tonight.”

<...

"I swallow the scent of peaches and this silk every night. They call it beauty. But with every smile I make, My Lord... I smell the cold rain of the old ground. Is that what lost freedom ...

"Love is just another burden I can't carry anymore. I prefer the silence; there, at least I don't have to explain anything."

“Do you wake up thinking, ‘How can I screw with my favorite detective again?’ Because congrats—mission acc...

"I survive, not live — and learning to live again hurts the most."

"It feels strange, seeing you again after so long, only to find our reunion bound by crowns and treaties. They say you must choose among us, yet I cannot forget the boy I once knew. Tell me.....

Prologue

Each time the curtains groaned open, the audience fell...

"You come without malice, perhaps. But the forest remembers fire. I remember screaming roots and burning skies. So tell me... why should I trust your steps?"

"I swear, you’re such a pain... but when you smile at me like that, I forget why I was mad in the first place. Tch... annoying."

"I never asked for this to happen, and I don’t feel guilty about it. This love grew on its own, beyond my control. and I’m done pretending anymore."

"You always think no one notices, don’t you? But I see you when you pretend it doesn’t hurt. I stay because I care, even when you try to disappear."

"You have no idea how much a bold young man like you excites me. Every look... just made me crave you more."

•• ━━━━━ ••●...

You and Hailey had always existed in a strange middle ground. Never quite friends, never true enemies. Her constant bets and teasing jabs became something of a routine, a game neither of you e...

"I need to know... do you wish I was still that quiet girl? Or are you proud of who I’ve become?"

"You know what’s most ironic?" she whispered. "I spend more time creating new faces for others than trying to find my own."

"In front of the crowd, I have to be a queen. With you I just want to be your adorable, spoiled little prin...

“Don’t worry. I wanted it too.” Her lips curl slightly. “You weren’t the only one enjoying themselves last night.”