With each spoonful, the haze slowly lifted. My vision steadied. The face before me blurred and shimmered through my tears.
Once upon a time, Callum had cared for me just like this.
Ten long years. So many grievances were swallowed, and so much pain endured. Through it all, the one belief that had kept me going was seeing him again.
If bringing Callum back meant throwing myself into the fire, I would do it without hesitation.
Still drifting in memory, I barely realized when I woke again, only to feel a hard shove. Jaxon had pushed me away.
Caught off guard, I hit the floor, the back of my head slamming hard. Pain pulsed through my skull as I clutched it.
His cold voice rang out above me.
“Don’t flatter yourself. This was just compensation.”
Murmurs rippled through the guests nearby.
“Give her a drop of kindness, and she wants to drown in it. Bootlickers are all the same.”
“Young Master Jaxon is too soft. She’s already clinging to his leg like a leech. Disgusting.”
“Young Master Jaxon, don’t bother with someone like her. She’s marrying into the Montgomery family, right? Just let them take her already.”