Chapter 25: The Anatomy of Forgiveness, A Double Portion of Blessings

The grand, echoing silence of the Fuad mansion in the days following the wedding-that-wasn't was a presence in itself, a heavy velvet curtain that had fallen after the tumultuous drama. Aleena found herself moving through the vast, familiar rooms like a ghost in her own life. The plush carpets that had once felt comforting now seemed to swallow her footsteps, muffling her existence. She had taken up residence in her old bedroom, the girlish pastels and university textbooks a stark, almost cruel contrast to the woman. . .