Veronica, as if remembering a distant memory, suddenly froze. A tremor ran through her delicate frame, and the color visibly drained from her face.
Her lips quivered, parting slightly as though she wanted to say something but couldn't quite find the words.
She sniffled pitifully, her slender shoulders trembling as if she were struggling against an overwhelming wave of emotions.
Her wide, tear-brimmed eyes darted toward Alexander hesitantly, searching for something—perhaps reassurance, perhaps permission to speak.
But then, as if the weight of her own thoughts became too much to bear, she broke down entirely.
A sharp, gut-wrenching sob escaped her lips, raw and heartbroken. The sound of her despair filled the cold, heavy air of the office, echoing off the walls.
Her hands clutched at the fabric of her dress, twisting it tightly between her fingers, as if that alone could anchor her against the storm raging inside her.
