"Soren belongs to me," she said, and there was genuine conviction in her voice now, the kind of certainty that came from years of being told something until you couldn't imagine any other truth. "He always has. You're just… a temporary distraction. A political convenience that won't last."
I laughed. I couldn't help it. The sound burst out of me, genuine amusement mixed with something darker, something that remembered being exactly where she was standing... young and stupid and convinced that wanting something made it yours.
"Belongs to you?" I repeated, still chuckling. "How fascinating."
I leaned in, dropping my voice to something lower, more intimate, the kind of tone that suggested secrets shared between friends. Except we weren't friends, and this wasn't a secret... it was a weapon.
