ling rare

ilent guardian. Always

impassive face held a trace of

li

s voice a low rumble. "It's... g

I replied, meetin

artifice, no hidden agenda. Just a str

e, materializing beside

awn, his earlie

g Mike completely. "We need to talk. What yo

hed for

contact, Mike shifted, subtl

ust... there. A sol

glared at Mike. "This i

e princess is tired. It

d to adore me, you know. She'd tell me everything. This... this coldness, it's not

Bella? Were you just pretending to be... simple... all these y

in the air, ugl

the old pain, the

now, muffled by a

tion. "The way you cared for me when you left me drug

drained fr

when your staff treated me like a str

led, spe

might have believed your l

kind enough to escort me to my rooms?

ression unreadable.

g Ethan's stunned,

my father's voice, sharp an

My offi

't loo

he quiet, echoing cor

n silence f

d softly, not looking at him. "A

sed slightly b

Prin

ulled

es

. The smell of gasoline. A strong,

vo

lly looking up at him. "For sav

touched his lips.