Rowella Michaels

Chapter 6 My mind was in turmoil. I don’t tolerate liars. Chaos’s words echoed in my head, a relentless reminder of the web of lies I’d spun since arriving at the palace. I had been deceiving him, hiding my true identity and my mission. What would he think if he found out? Would he ever forgive me? Could I even face him again? The guilt weighed heavily on me, a constant ache in my chest. I sighed deeply, trying to push the thoughts away, but they clung to me like shadows. A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I opened it to find Chaos standing there, his expression filled with concern. Without waiting for an invitation, he walked in and sat on my bed. I followed, sitting beside him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice soft. “What’s wrong?” I echoed, stalling for time. “You know what I’m talking about,” he said, his eyes searching mine. “You’ve been acting strangely since yesterday, after your talk with Marcela.” Should I tell him? The question gnawed at me. If I did, I’d be b...

Chapter 5 I was still bothered by the painting I’d seen the day before, but I pushed the thought aside. I had a more urgent situation to deal with: Amari had sent me a message asking for an update. I didn’t know how Amari had managed it, but I found the message under my plate of hotdogs during dinner. With Chaos sitting right across from me, I nearly had a heart attack when I noticed the paper barely hidden beneath the plate. Thankfully, I was wearing a dress with long sleeves, so I was able to discreetly slip the paper under my right sleeve. I excused myself immediately after dinner, claiming I was exhausted. Chaos seemed disappointed but didn’t protest. He simply escorted me to my room and kissed me goodnight. That was close. Now, alone in my room, I stared at the message. I had nothing to report—no progress, no leads. Worse, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to reveal anything about Chaos. It felt like no matter what I did, I’d be betraying someone. The next morning, I decided to have bre...