Chapter 28

• [XAVIER]
• I'm not surprised by Zarina's reaction after finding out the only truth I tried to conceal. I'm just a little disappointed in her perception of me. Maybe I got a bit selfish and only wanted to hear a resounding "yes" when I asked her to portray Aurora in front of Hazel. I was afraid that once she learned the truth, she would never agree to help.
• It's true that she's being held against her will, and if I wanted to, I could have forced her to comply. But I wanted her involvement to come from the heart, not from coercion. The only difference between me and Vladimir is that my intentions were solely focused on giving Hazel something she had never experienced before—a mother's touch and the love that comes with it. But maybe I went too far in my attempt to make it all seem real.