*Rhys*
The uncomfortable mattress pressed against my back, a cruel reminder of the paralysis gripping my once-powerful limbs. I lay there motionless as memories of Alexa's betrayal replayed over and over again. Her smug face haunted me, and her laughter echoed in the recesses of my thoughts as the poisons she had concocted coursed through my veins.
I wished to turn back time and heed the warnings I had ignored. But wishes were nothing more than wisps of desperation, and I knew well the cost of my foolish vendetta. I should have listened and seen the traps laid before me. I should have discussed it with Saoirse, my wife, before I set off on an unnamed business and left her alone, wondering and worrying.
I made mistake after mistake, from involving myself with Alexa to allowing her to remain at the palace before the wedding and to this. All of it was my mistake.
It was my fault. There was no one else to blame.
