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“Shout all you want, girl, but no one will save you,” Mother Superior’s voice came from the driver’s seat, laced with cruel satisfaction. “You are a lost soul, and you deserve punishment.”

Ciara’s heart sank at the sound of her tormentor’s voice. The realization of her situation hit her like a blow to the chest. She scrambled to her feet, clutching the iron bars for support as the carriage jolted and swayed.

“Where are you taking me?” she demanded, her voice trembling with fear and desperation.

“St. Catherine’s, of course,” Mother Superior replied with a mocking laugh. “What did you expect? Stray sheep like you always get what they deserve in the end.”

Ciara felt the world slipping away from beneath her feet. The name of the abbey, the place of her worst nightmares, sent a wave of terror through her. She had fought so hard to escape, to free herself from its clutches, and now, she was being dragged back.

“No,” she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. “No, please. Please, don’t take me back there.”

But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Mother Superior’s voice turned venomous, filled with righteous anger. “After all your scheming to kick me out of the abbey, even contacting His Majesty? How dare you? There is no retribution for you now.”

Ciara’s knees buckled, and she sank to the floor, her hands gripping the cold metal bars for support. Her mind raced, trying to comprehend the full extent of her betrayal and the hopelessness of her situation.

“Please,” she begged, as tears streamed down her face. “Please, set me free. I’ll do anything. Just don’t take me back there.”

Mother Superior’s laughter was a cruel, hollow sound. “You brought this upon yourself, Ciara. There is no escape for you now.”

The carriage continued its relentless journey, the wheels rattling over the uneven road. Ciara’s sobs filled the small, dark space, mingling with the rhythmic clatter of the wheels. The weight of her parents’ betrayal, the return to St. Catherine’s, and the knowledge that there was no one to save her pressed down on her like a tidal wave that threatened to drown her.

The road stretched on, leading her back to the place she had fought so hard to escape, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

A few days passed in a blur for Jonathan, each one more miserable than the last. The house felt eerily silent, the absence of Ciara’s laughter and presence creating a void that nothing seemed to fill. He found himself wandering through the rooms, each one a painful reminder of the life they had begun to build together.

He had thrown himself into his work, hoping to distract himself from the ache in his chest, but it was no use. The house was empty without her. His heart was empty without her.

As he sat in his study, staring blankly at the papers scattered across his desk, he felt a deep sense of regret. He had let his pride and stubbornness drive her away. He had pushed her to the point where she felt she had no choice but to leave. The letter she had sent still haunted him, the words echoing in his mind.

He missed her more than he could have ever imagined. Her absence was a constant, gnawing pain, a reminder of everything he had lost. He couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, couldn’t focus on anything other than thoughts of her.

He thought about the nights they had spent talking and laughing, the way she had made him feel alive and whole. He remembered the way she had looked at him, the warmth in her eyes, and the way she had made him believe that he could be a better man.

That afternoon, a knock on the door interrupted his unproductive business attempt.

“Go away,” he said loudly, not caring who it might be.

But the doors opened, nonetheless, and Rebecca allowed herself in.

“Oh, it’s you,” he said with a frown. “I’m busy.”

“I can see that,” she gave him a displeased glance. “What is going on here, Jonathan? Where is Ciara?”

Jonathan sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. There was no point in lying, denying the truth, or embellishing it in any manner. There was only one truth, and it could be said in two simple words.

“She left.”

Rebecca’s eyes widened in shock. “She left? What do you mean she left?”

“I mean exactly that,” he pouted. “She left. She is gone. She is not here.”

“You know, I am still older than you, and as such, I demand respect,” she reminded him although he knew that there was no ill will behind her words. She was more concerned than she was willing to let on and he knew that.

“She went to stay with her parents,” he clarified, unable to meet her gaze.

“The parents who hate her?” she asked incredulously, obviously in hopes that through some incredible fluke of fortune, Ciara had another, secret set of parents, and she had decided to stay with them. Of course, that was not true.

“Yes,” he murmured.