Selene's Pov
The question hung in the air like a blade waiting to fall, heavy with implications. My cheeks flushed crimson as I turned my gaze away, fixating instead on a small imperfection in the polished marble floor beneath my feet. The roughness of my throat felt like sandpaper, scratchy and uncomfortable. “He was busy,” I murmured, the words bitter and reluctant on my tongue, as if they carried the weight of my own denial.“Oh, don’t try to make excuses for him.” Ronan's voice transformed, dropping to a dangerous growl that rippled with barely concealed anger. The tension was palpable, a taut string ready to snap. “He’s an asshole, Selene.”I bit into my lower lip so hard I could taste the metallic tang of copper, my fists clenching at my sides. The sting of his words pierced deeper than I dared to acknowledge. Truth was a bitter pill I struggled to swallow. What could I possibly say? That Damien preferred his grand ambitions over our fragile connecti
