Celine's POV
"Because I know what it's like to be where you are," she said quietly. "You asked me once if I was a slave. I never answered. But I'll tell you this, this house eats people alive, and I don't want to watch it eat you too."
We were silent for a while. I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing.
When she finished, she brushed my hair back and applied a light oil that smelled faintly of lavender. The scent was soothing, like a whisper of calm in a storm.
"There," she said, smiling faintly. "You will rest better now."
"Rest," I repeated with a half-laugh. "Do you really think I can sleep knowing that tomorrow I'll be married to him?"
"You have to," she said, packing her things. "Sleep is strength, and you will need all of it."
"Ms Madison," I called softly as she headed to the door. "Can I ask you something?"
She turned.
"What was he like before? Or has he always been this way?"
Her eyes darkened. "That's not something you should carry tonight."
