Lyra's POV
My stomach churned violently. The urge to vomit right here in the pristine garden threatened to overwhelm me completely.
"He was devoted to you," Daphne whispered, her voice barely audible while tears streamed down her face for show. "If power hadn't clouded his judgment, he would have been wise enough to keep his distance from me. I did feel something for him, actually. Well, for certain parts of him anyway. What a terrible loss. But tell me, did you ever experience that particular pleasure? No? How unfortunate. Everything fell apart when he developed a conscience midway through our arrangement. Rescuing you became his obsession. I simply couldn't allow such interference."
She stepped back then, her cheeks glistening with manufactured tears. Her expression radiated pure anguish. The performance deserved recognition at the highest levels. She could have won awards for this masterful display.
Every fiber of my being wanted to tear her apart.
