Her heart pounded.
This was real.
The Ashthorn estate buzzed with the familiar morning chaos. Below her window, the servants rushed through the courtyard.
She had lived this morning once naive, hopeful, blind.
But now?
Now she remembered.
Every betrayal.
Every lie.
Every name.
Lucien. Camilla. The nobles. The whispers. The poison in her wine.
Evelyne's hands curled into fists.
This time, she wouldn't beg for love.
This time, she wouldn't protect those who destroyed her.
She would become the villain they claimed she was.
And she would enjoy it.
"I remember everything," she said to her reflection.
"And I'm not here to survive…
I'm here to destroy."