#Chapter 166 – Ella Broods

Ella After leaving our rooms I sneak down to the kitchens, hoping the palace chef will take pity on me. My stomach is grumbling with a hunger so fierce I feel dizzy, but the last thing I want right now is to be social. I love my family and King Gabriel is growing on me by the day, but faking smiles and pretending I haven’t just had the biggest fight in the history of my relationship with Sinclair sounds absolutely dreadful. I’m not sure why this fight feels so much worse than the ones before. After all, we got through Lydia’s attempted assault and fake pregnancy, as well as countless other small battles about Sinlcair’s overprotectiveness, my defiance, and shared communication failings. Still, this is the first time since we met that Sinclair has suggested we separate for any length of time, and maybe that’s the real reason I’m so hurt. I probe my own feelings for fears of abandonment or doubts about his devotion, and I’d be lying if I said I came up entirely empty. Part of me,