Chapter 1

When I was sixteen, my grandfather caught Edward Shaw pulling me out of the river. He claimed my virtue had been compromised and forced Edward to marry me on the spot.

I had always admired him, but I knew our marriage began in shame.

For years, I kept my head down and played the dutiful wife, never stepping out of line.

Even when he brought his beloved into our home and treated me with nothing but coldness and contempt, I swallowed every word of protest.

But the years of silence took their toll. The constant worry and grief wore my body down, and I could feel myself fading.

I knew I didn't have much time left.

That morning, Edward had just helped Lord Quinn secure the throne, and he planned to use his newfound favor to petition for a noble title for his beloved.

He glanced up when I walked in, his expression flat. "If you're here about the title," he said, "don't bother."

He didn't wait for my response. He grabbed his petition papers and swept out the door toward the palace, without so much as a second glance at the table where I had quietly laid the divorce papers.

*****

The spring wind cut through the air with a bitter chill. Edward pushed the door open, but he stood there and made no move to leave.

He tilted his head, and his cold gaze settled on me.

Edward asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

He was probably wondering why I hadn't spoken up for myself after learning that he intended to petition the King for a noble title on another woman's behalf.

I was his lawfully wedded wife, and yet I sat there in silence.

I pressed my lips together, and a sharp ache twisted through my chest.

In the beginning, I had swallowed my pride and begged him when he first started favoring Charlotte.

I had asked him to at least spare me some dignity within our own household, so that I, his Lady and wife, would not become a subject of ridicule among the nobility.

But all my pleading did was give Edward another reason to humiliate me further.

I still remembered the way his eyes had swept over me, as sharp and unforgiving as a blade driven straight into my heart.

He had said, "You should have thought about this the day you tried to ruin me with your lies and false accusations."

He had continued, "Everything you suffer now is exactly what you deserve, and you still have the nerve to ask anything of me."

He had let out a low, scornful laugh, and his face was nothing but mockery.

The shame had left me paralyzed. All I could do was watch as Edward took Charlotte Foster's arm and escorted her to the royal banquet at court.

He had told everyone I was too ill to attend, but there was not a single soul in the capital who didn't know where I truly stood in his eyes.

Overnight, I became the laughingstock of every parlor and every noble household.

I opened my mouth to speak.

But Edward seemed to snap out of his thoughts.

He furrowed his brow and walked out the door without looking back.

I stared at his retreating figure and swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat.

Within moments, his gentle voice drifted through the door as he answered Charlotte's playful complaints.

The tree shadows swayed and rustled outside the window. After what felt like an eternity, the study sank into total silence and darkness.

I lowered my head and wiped away the tears that came flooding out.

The nobleman who had once been groomed in the finest traditions of chivalry and classical learning now wore this mask of cold detachment.

And I was the one to blame.

*****

Edward and I both came from noble families, but we had rarely crossed paths in our daily lives.

He was as radiant as the moon between parting clouds and as distant as the stars above the heavens.

Every young noblewoman in the kingdom had dreamed of him at least once.

When Lord and Lady Quinn organized their hunting banquet, my grandfather had accepted the invitation on my behalf.

But the moment I heard Edward would be attending, I broke from my usual reluctance and agreed to go.

Not for any other reason, but to see him in person.

It wasn't until I arrived that I realized the entire hunt had been arranged to bring Edward and Charlotte together.

Charlotte was Lady Quinn's younger sister. She came from a distinguished military family, and her horsemanship was unmatched among the noblewomen of the capital.

On the riding grounds, she sat tall in a crimson riding gown, holding the reins with one hand and smiling with reckless confidence.

She called out to him, "Lord Edward, would you do me the honor of a ride?"

Edward had always been measured around women and never spoken more than was necessary.

But when he turned to face Charlotte, the cold indifference in his eyes softened, and a faint smile played across his features.

He swung onto his horse and exchanged a glance with her before they both raised their riding crops in unison.

The horses let out a sharp whinny, and their hooves kicked up clouds of dust as they galloped away together.

I sat on the viewing platform above, watching them until my gaze went blank.

I didn't even notice when my grandfather sent a servant to deliver a message.

The hunt was in full swing by then, and voices and commotion filled the grounds. To keep me clear of any stray arrows, the servant guided me down a narrow side path.

But when we reached a rocky stream, the path ahead disappeared entirely.

I frowned and turned to tell the servant that the current looked too strong and we needed to find another way around.

Then an arrow shot from the nearby tree line, whistling past my ear before I could finish the thought.

I had never faced danger like this before.

My eyes went wide with terror, and my foot slipped on the wet stone. Before I could catch myself, I plunged into the rushing current.

As my consciousness began to fade, I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me and pull me from the violent water toward the shore.

I forced my eyes open with what little awareness I had left and saw Edward's face, pale as parchment.

His lips were pressed into a thin, hard line, and his eyes burned with fierce resolve.

That single glimpse was the last thing I saw before the darkness swallowed me again.