جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 30

LIA The dining room was quiet. Only the ticking of the old clock filled the space between us. The long table stretched like a wall between three people pretending not to think too much — Salve at the head, silent and unreadable; Dimitri beside him, tapping his fork against his plate, pretending not to be bored. And me — sitting straight, palms pressed to my knees, trying to stop my heartbeat from echoing loud enough for them to hear. I had rehearsed the words all morning. I had told myself over and over that I wouldn’t stutter, wouldn’t tremble, wouldn’t look away. Now the moment was here, and every part of me wanted to run. But I didn’t. Not this time. I lifted my chin. “I’ve made a decision.” That got their attention. Dimitri looked up first, his dark eyes glinting with curiosity. Salve didn’t move, but I saw his jaw tighten slightly — the smallest sign that he was listening. “I’ll do it,” I said. My voice sounded steadier than I felt. “I’ll be what you brought me here for

QUAN The afternoon light poured through the tall windows, scattering over the marble floor like liquid gold. I had just returned from the training wing, sweat still clinging to my neck, when I saw Sia waiting near the corridor. Her expression gave her away before she spoke — a strange mix of calm. “Sia,” I greeted, rolling my sleeves up. “You’ve been waiting?” She nodded once. “For you.” I frowned, stepping closer. “Is something wrong?” “Not wrong,” she said slowly. “Just… surprising.” I crossed my arms. “Say it.” Her gaze flicked up to mine, steady and unreadable. “Lia spoke with Salve and Dimitri today.” That caught my attention. “About what?” Sia hesitated, then smiled faintly . “She told them she would agree to be their hired womb.” I froze. “She what?” Sia nodded, her tone calm, matter-of-fact. “You heard me. She told them directly. But—” she paused, watching my face carefully “—she had a condition.” I swallowed hard. “A condition?” “She said she’ll on

DIMITRI I’ve always liked to think of myself as a conductor of people. The right word, the right gesture, and the whole room bends the way I want. Tonight was no different. “Tell me, my love,” I began, breaking the silence, “how long do you plan to keep our little bird and my idiot cousin circling each other without landing?” Salve didn’t look up. “You’ve been watching them-again. ” “I mean that's what I'm best at ” I said with a grin. “And right now, they’re walking on glass. She looks at him like he’s the last safe thing in the room, and he—” I let out a soft laugh. “He looks like he’s swallowed the sun and doesn’t know what to do with the light.” Finally, Salve turned from the window. His expression was calm, but I could see the question forming behind his eyes. “And what exactly do you want to do about it?” “Oh, I don’t know,” I drawled, twirling the pen I’d stolen from his desk. “Maybe… a little encouragement? They’re both too cautious. Lia because she’s scared of h

QUAN The message came early in the morning — sealed in gold and carried by one of Salve’s men. I didn’t have to read it to know it meant trouble. By noon, the house was in motion. Servants polished every corner, flowers replaced, glasses lined with precision. It was the kind of order that only happened when the outside world was about to peek inside. “Who?” I asked Dimitri when I found him in the hall, lounging against the marble banister, his shirt half-open as usual. “The council,” he said lazily, but there was a flicker of irritation in his voice. “Or at least the self-proclaimed royalty of our world. They say it’s a courtesy visit.” “And in reality?” “They want to see if the rumors are true.” I frowned. “Rumors?” “That the virgin bride the dons bought at half a billion is thriving,” he said with a smirk, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement. “Or that she’s already broken.” "What?” he teased, tilting his head. “You don’t like the idea of them staring at her like

LIA Cold stone pressed against my cheek. The smell of metal and old sweat filled my nose. My hands were tied behind my back, wrists raw from the ropes. For a long moment, I simply lay there, listening. The sound of my own pulse was loud enough to fill the small space . I tried to remember how I’d got here. One minute, I had been laughing at the man who sold me sweet corn, his ridiculous hat bobbing with the heat. The next minute, the world had become noise and rubber and the taste of blood in my mouth. Hands had grabbed me; the van had been ready, someone had covered my head, and the city had vanished. Now, there was only this room and the soft scrape of shoes on concrete somewhere beyond the thin wall. Voices. The clink of metal. A radio’s low static. My blindfold was loose enough that when I tipped my head back, I could make the smallest slice of light cross the ceiling. It told me there was at least one crack to the outside. Footsteps. Two sets, approaching. I held my breath un