Chapter 83

• AMARIS POV
• I couldn’t tell which felt more disheartening spending my days confined to a hospital bed or wandering alone through a silent, empty penthouse. Theron always slipped out the moment I fell asleep, and waking up to nothing but cold sheets was climbing fast on my list of least favorite experiences. I was meant to be here “recovering,” as if healing shattered bones and purpling bruises could be achieved through sheer willpower. Part of me wished I could just command my body to reset to rid itself of the relentless pain that accompanied each movement.
• Still, I wore a smile like armor and insisted I was fine whenever anyone asked. Theron, Romilly, Osric, my entire team they didn’t need the extra weight of my suffering. I didn’t want them knowing that walking, laughing, even breathing sent fresh waves of pain rippling through me. It wasn’t as brutal as before, but since I’d begun tapering off the painkillers, each lingering ache became more pronounced, more real.