The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 625

The muffled click of the study door closing drifted down from upstairs, sounding like a stone being dropped into a pile of cotton.

Penelope stood motionless at the turn of the staircase, her fingers still wrapped tightly around the broken porcelain. The sharp edges sliced into her skin, but she didn't loosen her grip. As the sound of the door faded into the echoing hallway, her rigidly tense shoulders finally slumped. She leaned back against the wall, feeling entirely hollowed out.

She stayed there for a few seconds before hurrying toward her bedroom. She wasn't just walking; she was running. Her slippers slapped frantically against the hardwood floors, the ceramic pieces clinking in her clenched fist. She didn't care about the noise. She didn't care if the staff heard her. She only had one desperate thought racing through her mind—she needed to get back to her room. Back to a place where she could lock the door.

Pushing the bedroom door open, she slipped inside and threw the deadbolt. A sharp click echoed through the room as the metal lock slammed into place, sealing her off like a falling barricade. Her legs gave out instantly. Sliding down the smooth wood of the door, she collapsed onto the floor.

The icy chill of the hardwood seeped through her silk nightgown, making her shiver violently. The porcelain shards pressed painfully against her thigh. She looked down at her hand. A jagged piece had sliced her palm open, drawing a bead of thick, crimson blood. But the physical sting was nothing compared to the suffocating agony tearing her chest apart.

She placed the bloody pieces of porcelain on the floor, arranging them one by one in a neat row, almost like tiny tombstones.

Then, she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in them.

Her shoulders began to shake.