Jasmine's POV
My spine pressed against the cold wall as Palmer stood mere inches away from me.
To any passerby, we probably looked like two lovers caught in an intimate moment. The thought made my pulse quicken, though not entirely from embarrassment.
I gazed up at his face, studying the serene expression and steady breathing. Yet beneath my ribs, something wild was stirring. Not just from his proximity, but from the chain of events that brought us to this precise moment.
How had everything unraveled so quickly?
Earlier this morning, I had sought out Palmer with a specific purpose.
That pendant hanging from his neck haunted my thoughts. The royal crest replica seemed familiar in a way that gnawed at me, and I needed answers.
A classmate had directed me to the art studio, where I discovered him alone by the towering windows, brush in hand. Golden morning light caught the highlights in his brown hair, creating an almost ethereal glow around him.
