Chapter 26 Fractured Trust

• Naomi's POV
• Long after the gala was over, Roman's words continued to torment me, a reminder of the past I was unable to leave behind. I was shaken by the encounter, and my resolve was fracturing like spiderwebs. And I couldn't help but question whether independence was worth the cost as I lay in bed that night, gazing up at the ceiling.
• The deep silence was broken by the piercing vibration of my phone buzzing on the nightstand.