Tonight, her heart carried a different kind of ache. A war waged within her, tearing at her soul. Would it have been easier to remain silent? To lower her gaze, swallow her defiance, and accept the world Lorenzo had built around her like an iron cage? Maybe. But then there was Lilly .
Cora squeezed her eyes shut, willing the memory away, but it clung to her like a ghost. Lilly’s soft, terrified sobs still rang in her ears. The girl was too fragile for this world of power and control, of whispered threats and unspoken rules.
She knew there was no way out for herself. She had learned that lesson too well. She still remembered how Lilly wanted yo sacrifice herself to keep Cora safe. Memories flooded her mind as every scene from the black hole appeared before her eyes, one after anothe
