Lydia had settled in her room after a hot bath.
She sat by the window in a simple nightgown, staring at the dark sky.
It was already midnight, perhaps even later, but she had no idea what time it was.
She was tired.
Her body was exhausted from everything that had happened.
But sleep would not come.
Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the man's hands around her throat.
She remembered struggling to breathe.
She remembered reaching for the dagger and being unable to reach it.
She remembered thinking she was going to die.
Lydia slowly touched her neck.
The skin still hurt.
She lowered her hand and looked out the window again.
How could she sleep after almost dying?
No matter how hard she tried, she could not shake the feeling.
She had almost died tonight.
And if Damir had arrived even a little later, she might not have returned to the palace at all.
A cold feeling settled in her chest.
She had planned to tell Ivan about the baby tonight.
