Kendra's POV
The room was quiet enough to hear the soft crackle of the fire. Its glow painted long shadows on the walls, wrapping around us like a memory refusing to fade. I stood frozen in place, my red gown whispering against the polished floor, and for a moment, everything else fell away.
“No,” my father said, his voice trembling but firm. “You are my child.”
His words cracked something open inside me.
Then Alissa rose and wrapped her arms around me without hesitation. Her grip was tight, her breath hitching as she pressed her face into my shoulder. Her body shook, and I felt her tears soaking through the delicate fabric at my collarbone.
I wanted to say yes. I wanted to run. I wanted to gather them both in my arms and drag them out of here, past the guards, past Scott, past this s
