Nicole's world was slipping into something she could no longer grasp.
The once vivid landscapes she painted—of snow-kissed valleys, blooming wildflowers, and the sea of stars above the mountains—had turned into something… unrecognizable. Now, her canvases bled with chaotic strokes of black, violent reds, and distorted shadows that stretched from the edges, as if trying to crawl free from the frame itself.
She locked herself away in her painting room , the doors bolted even from Jasper. She painted obsessively, as if trying to drown out the voices—the Duchess's laughter echoing in her skull, whispering lies and half-truths that seeped deeper into her heart.
You see how they watch you?
"They plot against you, Nicole. Even him. Especially him."
Nicole pressed her hands to her ears, smearing paint onto her skin as she frantically whispered back, "No… no, they wouldn't…"
