Chapter 12

• Gabriel’s grip on her delicate wrist caused Catherine to wince in pain. A numb sensation spread from her wrist up her arm, but that physical pain was nothing compared to the hurt in her heart. She wondered silently, since when had Gabriel become so cruel?
• Internally, she mocked him for his ability to stir up trouble. He had sent people to forcibly bring her here, yet now he was questioning her as if she had been eager to attend his engagement.
• Catherine was about to respond when he suddenly grabbed an orange from the banquet table and shoved it into her mouth, muffling her voice with nothing but "mmm" sounds. The sweet and sour taste of the orange filled her mouth, but she couldn’t truly taste it — only the tightness in her throat. Bitter tears threatened to spill, yet she clenched her teeth and swallowed them back down.