She couldn't move. Her knees trembled violently beneath her. She couldn't breathe.

"Y-your majesty," she stammered, her heart pounding hard in her chest, her words barely audible, and her voice thin as paper.

Thorne's footsteps thundered against the ground, and she stumbled back instinctively, a

s though to protect herself from his rage.

He stopped in his tracks, eyes on the painting she had touched, her fingerprints staining the dusty glass. Adina's eyes widened as she took in what she had done.

Thorne looked back at her... that tiny print was all that it took.

He snapped.

A menacing growl tore from his chest as he surged forward like a storm.

Adina barely had time to blink before he was in front of her, before his hand clamped around her throat and slammed her back against the nearest wall harshly.

"You touched it?" he growled, his face twisted in fury. "You dared to touch her?"

Adina's eyes went wide, her breath caught in her lungs as her fingers gripped at his wrist, not fighting but instead just to breathe, just to stay conscious.

His hands wrapped tighter around her neck, cutting off her airflow. Her face turned dangerously red.

"I—I didn't know—M-Maya said it was cleaning—" she croaked out, desperate, but it only seemed to infuriate him more.

"You had no right! No fucking right! How dare you? You don't get to breathe in her space. What gave you the audacity?"

He shook her once—hard. Her feet barely touched the ground. She clawed at his arm, struggling to breathe. Her eyes clouded with unshed tears.

"You think because the gods have made you my mate, you have the power to come in here? Have you lost your mind? You're nothing to me! Just a slave. A slave who doesn't know her place. A mistake."

A mistake. The word landed with a sharp, invisible blade. She flinched like he'd struck her.

A tear rolled down her cheek, her lips trembling as she whispered, "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. Please…"

Her words only seemed to anger him more. His face grew redder, the veins in his arm popping out. "Sorry? Please? You don't get to say those words! I gave you a step, and you took a mile. You don't get to touch her things. You don't get to look at her. Nothing about you belongs here." His eyes blazed with fire.

"You're an insult to her memory," he spat. "To everything she was. And now you—"

He squeezed even harder, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head, gasping weakly, tears spilling freely down her cheeks.

"I-It was Maya," she gasped out, barely able to get the words out through the burn in her throat. "She said... she said you left the room open for me to clean it. I didn't mean to—I swear I didn't mean to—"

Thorne stilled for a second, his grip on Adina's neck loosened, and she fell to the ground with a thud. She burst out in a fit of coughs and gasps.

Then he laughed.

It wasn't kind. It wasn't amused. It was a bitter laugh that made her insides twist.

"Of course," he sneered. "Why am I not surprised?" He crouched down in front of her, gaze piercing. "It's always someone else, isn't it, Adina?"

Adina shook her head. She flinched at the sound of her name on his lips, heavy with disgust.

"I'm not lying…"

"You're always the innocent one. Always the victim. Tell me, does lying come naturally to you? Or do you practice it the same way you practiced murder?"

Adina froze. "I- I never—"

"Save it," he snapped, standing. "I should've known better than to expect anything from a lowborn, conniving brat like you."

He gripped her by the arm before she could speak again, yanking her up so fast her feet barely caught up beneath her.

"We'll settle this now."

He dragged her out of the room, not caring who saw, not caring who gasped. They reached the hallway, and Maya had suddenly appeared, hands folded neatly, eyes filled with confusion.

"My king..."

"Did you tell her to clean that room?" Thorne asked, going straight to the point.

Maya blinked, as if the accusation surprised her.

"Me?" Her brows furrowed with confusion. "I told her to clean your room, Your Majesty. Of course. I told her to be thorough. I mentioned the closet, yes, but I never told her to go into any off-limits room. I thought she understood."

Adina's head snapped toward her, her heart dropping.

"Liar," she whispered, disbelief crashing through her. "You told me—"

Maya's eyes widened. "I… I would never lie to the king. I'm—I only told her to clean your room. Perhaps she misunderstood what I meant, but I would never lie. The gods bear me witness." She then looked at Adina, understanding flashing in her eyes.

"I understand it now… perhaps she still holds grudges against me for what my sister did and thought accusing me this way—" she trailed off, suddenly getting teary-eyed. She stepped closer to Adina.

"But I apologized to you privately. I'm very sorry for what my sister did, but I would never tell you to disobey the king. Everyone knows not to go into the king's inner chambers, so why would I ever tell you to go."

Gasps fluttered through the hallway.

A murmur started among the other slaves and servants who were watching.

"She's trying to ruin the head maid's name now?"

"How disgusting…"

"How sure are we that Matilda even sent her to the outer borders? She's such a liar."

"I knew she was attention-hungry, but this? Blaming someone else?"

"Wow… is she trying to ruin the whole Jerkins family? She wants Maya sent to the dungeon too."

"She should be flogged for lying to the king."

"She's always playing the victim."

Adina's throat felt like it was closing again, but this time it wasn't from Thorne's grip. She could barely look up, but when she did, Thorne's eyes were already on her.

Cold. Unforgiving. And utterly disgusted.

He let go of her arm as though her touch repulsed him. She stumbled back, barely catching herself from falling.

He turned his back on her without a second thought and stormed off.

The other servants slowly began to leave, but not without insulting her. Adina stood frozen, her ears still ringing with their words, her eyes burning with unshed tears.

Maya stepped forward, eyes filled with sympathy. "Adina... I'm sorry if you misunderstood me, but I'm nothing like my sister."

'No. You're worse,' Adina thought to herself, watching Maya's retreating figure.