Chapter 122

Pandora's POV

The last light of day clung stubbornly to the skies. I watched from my room, my fingers brushing lightly against the cool glass of the window. 

Below, in the palace garden, Ashley was curled up on the stone bench, her shoulders shaking with sobs that seemed to echo in the stillness of the twilight.

My heart ached for her. The sight of her, so broken and alone, stirred something deep within me. I knew all too well the pain of betrayal, the sharp, biting cold of being cast out by those you loved. 

Ashley had made her choices, true, but watching her now, I couldn’t help but see a girl who had been led astray, manipulated by forces beyond her control.

“She brought this on herself, you know.”

Wilson’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. He stood in the doorway of my room, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression a mix of frustration and concern. 

As Ashley’s elder brother, he had always been prot