5 WEEKS LATER AT INREUS MONASTERY:
——
Sterling stood silently in the rectors' office at Inreus. His gaze fixed on the wintry landscape beyond the frosted windowpane.
Outside, the skeletal trees stood bare, stripped clean of their once vibrant leaves, while a thick blanket of snow covered the land in pristine white. The biting wind, relentless in its icy grip, whispered through the air.
However, Sterling's life was warm and bright; despite this bitter winter, Faye had become an eternal flame in his world, bringing him joy every minute they spent together.
The Duke had been distracted most of the morning by Faye's laughter as she played chase with the children in the courtyard.
Every time his crimson gaze fell upon her, Sterling felt like the air had been knocked out of his lungs.
