The cell's dampness had seeped into my bones, making everything ache. I'd lost track of how long I'd been here, pacing this small space, my thoughts spiraling into darker places with each passing hour. Lady Beatrix sat across from me, her once-impeccable appearance now a disheveled reminder of how far we'd fallen.
"My mother," I whispered, breaking the heavy silence. "She depends on me. What will happen to her now?"
Lady Beatrix didn't even glance up. "Your mother is hardly my concern, Jasper."
Her cold dismissal stung, though I don't know why I expected anything else. I'd been such a fool, sacrificing everything—my integrity, my future, even my own mother's security—for a woman who saw me as nothing more than a useful tool.
"I loved you," I said, the words escaping before I could stop them. "Everything I did was for you."
Now she looked at me, her eyes sharp despite our circumstances. "Then you're even more of an idiot than I thought."
