The realization struck like a blow to my chest. Every piece of jewelry, every article of clothing Ronan had ever given me… they had all been her style. Not mine. All along, I’d been a mirror for someone else’s reflection. A placeholder. An echo of the true Luna he’d always dreamed of. My hands trembled, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break.
I turned to leave, but Ronan appeared in the doorway, his gaze darkening when he saw my packed bags. “What are you doing?” he demanded, his tone tinged with urgency. “Why are you packing your things? Answer me!”
I kept my face impassive, refusing to meet his eyes. Before I could respond, Violet’s fingers brushed against the music box on my nightstand. My heart stopped.
“Don’t touch that!” I snapped, but it was too late.
The music box slipped from her hands, shattering on the hardwood floor. Its delicate lid splintered, the tiny figurines lying in pieces among the shards. I dropped to my knees, trying to salvage it, but Violet’s sharp cry cut through the air. “Ronan, my hand! I didn’t mean to—it just slipped!”