Kaian slumped back on the leather couch in his office, the blinds drawn to block out the world outside. The room was dim, and the faint glow from his minibar was the only light as he nursed his beer, the cool liquid offering little solace against the storm of emotions raging inside him. He had ordered the maids to clear his bedroom of any trace of Rebecca, wanting to cleanse his life of her toxic influence. It was over, the bond severed, but the consequences of his past decisions weighed heavily on him, and the silence in his office felt oppressive.
He rubbed his temples, exhaustion settling deep in his bones. Rejecting Rebecca had taken more out of him than he expected, but it wasn’t just the rejection that haunted him. It was everything: his mistakes, his pride, his arrogance. He had al
