Chapter 232

SIENNA

I woke up with the taste of iron at the back of my throat and a skull-splitting ache that felt like punishment rather than consequence.

For a few seconds, I let myself lie still, staring at the ceiling as the morning light filtered through the curtains in thin, pale lines. My body was heavy, limbs slow, but my mind—my mind was viciously awake. No fog. No confusion. Just the brutal clarity