Jayden's POV
The documents on my desk swam together in a meaningless blur. My grip loosened, and the pen dropped from my fingers, clattering against the mahogany surface. The noise jarred me from my spiraling thoughts.
I exhaled slowly and sank back into my chair, drumming my fingers against the leather armrest.
Everything I held dear hung by a thread now. My kingdom, my birthright, my bloodline. And most devastating of all, Jasmine.
The woman who owned every piece of my heart.
Her image haunted me constantly. The expression she wore when she looked at me carried no anger or resentment, just pure concern and tenderness.
Those gentle eyes made me want to abandon everything. To forget my royal duties and disappear with her somewhere no one could find us. But I remained frozen, unable to even touch her the way my soul craved.
The weight of my shame crushed me.
