Chapter 43: Too Good to Be True

Ophelia's heart raced violently, each beat echoing through her chest with an intensity that bordered on painful. The words and actions of the man before her had stirred a warmth within her that was foreign and unsettling. Having been conditioned as a weapon of destruction, she was used to a life of emotional detachment and distance, even from her own twin brother. Her existence had been a series of cold realities and harrowing experiences. Seen as a monster, she had been exploited and made to commit acts that haunted her deeply. For centuries, she had numbed herself to her own pain, resolutely refusing to shed a tear despite the endless suffering she endured. To her, tears were useless; they solved nothing. Nikolai's words, however, seemed to cut through her hardened exterior, repeating over and over in her mind. The proximity of their bodies was something she was beginning to cherish, as it brought a strange sense of calm to her turmoil. Yet, the sincerity of his words felt almost