Chapter 75 Aria

• I just need to hold on here, endure Seraphina’s venomous remarks and fake smiles for a few more minutes. This thought repeats in my mind like a mantra, a desperate attempt to control the turmoil growing inside me with every phrase she utters, every word laced with false kindness.
• Alexander sits beside me, trying to defend me, interrupting Seraphina with sharp, firm remarks, but his influence seems to disintegrate in the face of the queen’s ruthless presence, and his parents join her with looks of barely concealed disdain. Around us, other guests murmur, casting judgmental glances that make the atmosphere even more suffocating.
• My anxiety rises, churning like a storm beneath the surface, demanding that I control my breathing, that I resist the urge to stand up and abandon this table.