Jett Westgate looked down at the top of her head. The pale pink dress quivered before his eyes, like a peach blossom petal on the verge of being swept away by the wind.
"Stella Sterling, you're still young. There's no need to waste any more time on me. Take that card, go to a new city, and live the life you want."
Stella Sterling's lips trembled. "But I only want—"
"Right now, you're just being let go. If you stay in Aethelgard... Stella Sterling, love alone isn't enough to stand up to my parents. Take the card and go. The farther, the better. Don't ever come back to Aethelgard."
Stella Sterling shook her head, tears falling one by one from her eyes. "Jett, I'm not afraid, really. Believe me, I can take it. As long as you're willing to let me stay, I'll slowly get your parents to change their minds about me!"
Stella Sterling's back was ramrod straight, as if she intended to fight the entire Westgate Family with her slender frame.
