Sarah's face gradually drained of color the moment Jayden delivered the news.
For the past week, she had almost managed to push Keith's assault to the back of her mind. Not because the memory had faded, but because every waking moment had been consumed by something else—her unexpected contract marriage to Jayden. The whirlwind of legal paperwork, public appearances, and the constant effort of adapting to her new reality had distracted her just enough to dull the sharpest edges of the trauma.
Just enough to breathe. But now the nightmare she had desperately tried to outrun had returned.
She would have to face it again.
A deep crease formed between her brows as her jaw tightened involuntarily. Her fingers grew cold, and an anxious knot settled heavily in her stomach. No matter how hard she tried to compose herself, the fear was impossible to hide.
Jayden noticed immediately.
