جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 50

LENORAThe silence after Xarian’s mother spoke my name did not break immediately. It stretched in a way that made the air feel heavier, as though the room itself had decided to hold its breath. Even Xarian did not move at first. Her gaze stayed fixed on me, steady and unblinking, and something about the way she looked made me feel as though she had already started piecing things together long before anyone had said anything aloud.Her mother, however, reacted differently. Disgust shifted across her face with slow clarity, turning into something sharper and more offended, as if my presence alone had become an inconvenience she had not consented to.“So you’re the one,” Xarian said at last, her tone even, almost conversational, as though she were confirming something mildly interesting rather than addressing a person whose name had already become infamous in court circles.My fingers tightened instinctively at my sides as I tried to steady myself. I did not answer immediately because I

LENORADinner arrived faster than I expected.The dining hall had changed again—this time quieter, more formal, with fewer attendants and more structured seating. The air carried the scent of roasted herbs and spiced broth, warm but restrained, like even the atmosphere had learned not to overstep.I moved through it carefully, tray in hand, following Heather’s quiet instructions.Imogen handled the kitchen end. Heather assisted the service line.We didn’t speak much. Not until I stepped into the hall fully.Orion was already seated.Eagen sat a short distance away, posture relaxed but attentive. Sebastian was there too, leaning back slightly in his chair like he had no intention of behaving politely for long. And Xarian sat at the center of it all, composed as ever, hands folded neatly, gaze steady.Her mother, Cathy, sat beside her.She noticed me immediately. Her eyes narrowed briefly before shifting away, as if I were already beneath her interest.I set the dishes down carefully, o

LENORAHis face was inches from mine.I could feel his breath, warm and uneven, brushing against my lips, and for a moment, everything else faded. The night, the walls, the tension that had been building between us for weeks now all blurred into something dangerously fragile.My heart pounded so loudly I was certain he could hear it.Orion didn’t move.Neither did I.His grip on my waist remained firm, anchoring me in place, while his other hand pressed against the wall beside my head, caging me in completely. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to look except at him, and that alone felt like a mistake I couldn’t undo.“Say it again,” he murmured, his voice low, rougher than before. “Tell me you don’t feel anything.”My breath hitched despite myself. “I didn’t say that.”“Then what are you saying?” His gaze searched mine, intense, unrelenting, as if he was trying to strip every layer of defense I had left. “Because from where I’m standing, you’re trying to walk away from something you do

DAVIESThe silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating, broken only by the uneven sound of her breathing.I didn’t move or blink. I just watched her.The way her shoulders trembled, the way her fingers curled tighter into the cloth wrapped around them, like she was trying to hold herself together before she completely fell apart. She had already slipped once. I had seen it; the crack, the hesitation, the way the truth had hovered right at the edge of her lips before fear dragged it back.“Look at me,” I said again, quieter this time, but no less firm.She obeyed, slowly lifting her head, though her eyes didn’t quite meet mine. They hovered somewhere near my shoulder, unfocused, glassy with tears she was trying desperately to hold back.“You’re afraid,” I noted, studying her closely.Her lips parted, but no words came out.“Of what?” I pressed, my voice low, controlled. “Of me? Or of her?”That did it.L Her composure shattered.A broken sob escaped her, sudden and raw, her ent

LENORAI didn’t trust him.That was the first thought that settled in my mind as I faced Sebastian, watching the way he stood there so casually, like he hadn’t just appeared out of nowhere after everything that had happened.He looked relaxed.“For someone who just witnessed a very heated argument,” I said slowly, folding my arms across my chest, “you seem awfully calm.”Sebastian’s lips curved slightly, not quite a smile, more like amusement held back. “I’ve seen worse,” he replied, his tone light, but his eyes were sharp, observant in a way that made me uneasy. “That wasn’t even particularly dramatic.”I let out a quiet scoff. “You have a strange definition of dramatic.”“Do I?” he countered, tilting his head slightly as he studied me. “From where I was standing, it looked like two people refusing to say what actually mattered.”My jaw tightened.“That’s none of your business.”“Maybe,” he said easily, taking another step closer. Not enough to invade my space, but enough to remind m