Budding Secrets

Stella

I step out of Lucius’s office with the yellow flower still pressed between my fingers. There is a bittersweet smile on my face, but not for the reasons that Lucius seems to believe. After all, I’m not really smiling because a handsome prince has just given me a flower.

Rather, I’m smiling to keep the tears at bay—because the daffodils just remind me of Vance.

As I wander down the hallway, I