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July 21 - July 29, 2025
suppose,” he said finally, “you’re expecting an apology.” “Not at all,” she replied. “That would require you to possess both manners and regret. I suspect you have neither.”
“Perhaps if you spent less time mourning the purity of other families’ bloodlines and more time developing a personality beyond staggering arrogance, you might actually be worthy of the legacy you so desperately cling to!”
you understand what it means to be judged by what you lack rather than what you possess.”
“How fortunate we are to be reminded that magical cosmetics cannot disguise a complete absence of manners or basic decency.”
He flexed his hand at his side, opening and closing his fingers as if trying to rid himself of the sensation of touching her.
We do not force paths upon others; we merely illuminate possibilities. We present options, create openings, arrange introductions between those who might benefit from knowing one another. The choice to step through a door will always belong to the person standing before it.”
if you do not feel you belong anywhere, then you must make a place in which to belong.”
“Then perhaps you can also imagine what you might do with your own talents, instead of sitting here waiting for society to grant you permission to exist.”
“is not whether you are worthy of this position, but whether you are brave enough to embrace it fully. To create your own place in a world that may not immediately understand your value.”
Organization without purpose is just vanity.
fear of losing yourself may be precisely what prevents you from discovering who you might become.
I could take back every word, every moment of hurt I caused you, I would do so without hesitation.”
You, of all people, should understand that what’s visible on the outside rarely reflects the true nature of what lies within.”
Your mother’s experience is ONE story, the notebook had said, not THE story.
But then his hand shifted, his fingers sliding between hers with deliberate intent.
He imagined leaning down to whisper in her ear the truth that burned inside him: I miss you. I want you. I am only half alive without you near.
Jasvian attempted to pull away, but his grandmother’s grip only tightened. “I have no interest in—” “Your interests are currently irrelevant,” she cut him off. “For someone so intelligent, you can be remarkably dense.
“Your stubborn resistance would be admirable if it weren’t so utterly exhausting,”
What good is preserving an empire if there’s no joy in it?”
“Your dedication, your sense of responsibility—these are qualities he valued and instilled in you. But they were never meant to be the sum total of your existence.”
“As though I stand at the heart of a tempest,” she breathed, voice unsteady. “As though my heart might burst from my chest at any moment. As though I cannot draw proper breath when you are near, and yet I feel more alive than I have ever been. As though every nerve in my body awakens to your presence, and I find myself counting the hours until I might see you again, even knowing I should not.”
Society must change eventually. Why not begin today?”
“When you left …” She swallowed hard. “It was as if all the color had drained from the world.”
“Not when every fiber of my being ached for you. Not when your absence felt like a wound that wouldn’t heal. Not when I realized that a life without you, even a life of comfort and stability, would be a pale imitation of living.”
