Chapter 173

• Emma's POV
• Last night felt like the longest night of my life. I couldn’t stop tossing and turning, unable to find even a shred of peace. It was as if my bed had turned into a battlefield, and my thoughts were the enemy. My chest felt tight, my mind refused to quiet down, and the weight of sadness and frustration consumed me whole.
• Emma’s words kept echoing in my head, louder and crueler with each repetition. She rejected me. Again. She rejected me in that courtyard without a second thought. The sting of it was unbearable, like someone driving a blade straight through my chest and twisting it until there was nothing left of me. I felt hollow, lost, and miserable.