Chapter 21 Court

• Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, a prickling sensation tickling her nose. She chided herself inwardly. Zayla Steele, is this all you're capable of? Have you forgotten Joaquin's cruelty? He confined you to that room for four days without a word. How can you let yourself be swayed by such a simple gesture?
• Yet, it was Joaquin—the man she had adored for sixteen long years. She was easily moved, her heart softened by even the slightest kindness, a fact that had kept her tethered to him for so long. Her stomach, already weighed down by the remnants of chewed tissues, churned uncomfortably with each spoonful of oats, threatening to induce dry heaves.
• Joaquin glanced her way. "What's the matter? Doesn't suit your refined palate, Ms. Steele?" His tone dripped with sarcasm, a subtle reminder of their fractured relationship.