Later that evening, a knock echoed against her door. She froze, wiping her tear-streaked face with trembling hands.
When she opened the door, one of the ship's officers stood there with a formal expression.
"Miss El," the officer said, saluting.
"Major General Demerin asked me to inform you that arrangements have been made for your safe passage to the Demerin estate. The escort will leave at dawn."
"Thank you," she replied, her voice hollow.
The door closed again, leaving her in the oppressive silence of her quarters. The realization struck her then, this was the end.
The journey aboard the warship, the fleeting connection with Lawrence, the quiet moments she had cherished, they were all over.
And she had to face the cold truth, the man she had fallen for did not, and would never, return her feelings.
But as she lay back down, exhaustion and sorrow weighing her down, another thought emerged through the pain.
