She was no different to the livestock they kept.
She was just a chambermaid in the ducal household.
She was the Silverdust family’s caged possession.
For thirteen years, Ines had clung to her love, enduring every insult and humiliation.
But tonight, she would end it.
“I loved you, Lucien.”
It would be just another confession that would never reach him, and that was fine.
Those three secret years of nights he would never remember
would remain hers alone.
She didn’t find that such a bitter thought.
Because, in the end, she would be the one to keep everything.
***
“Don’t worry. I’ll never let you get hurt.”
Without hesitation, Ines threw herself over the cliff.
Her hair, fine as a thread of silver, scattered in the harsh wind.
Her golden eyes, like the Silverdust flower in full bloom, shone with a vivid, unrestrained light.
She would no longer shed weak tears.
She would no longer beg for love just to survive.
Cradling her lower belly in both hands, Inés let her lips curve into a quiet smile.
The rushing current was carrying her towards a new home.
Days later, news reached a man—
Ines de Silverdust was dead.
