I froze.
I totally didn't expect Lucian to mutter those words. Wasn't he the one who'd been willing to do anything to make this marriage happen?
His eyes locked onto mine, cold and unreadable.
"Let's stop this whole fucking fake marriage, shall we?"
I blinked, lips trembling as I forced out a weak, "Why?"
Lucian turned sharply, his presence slicing through the air. "Leave us alone," he ordered.
The elves hesitated only a second before scattering out of the boutique, their soft footsteps fading until silence swallowed the room.
"Seraphina Vale, right?" he said slowly, his tone suddenly heavy with something I couldn't place… determination, maybe, or warning.
I swallowed hard, instinctively stepping back. "Why now? You know I am not Lady Celeste from the start, so why now? We just need to go through with it. The Phoenix need this, and your clan needs—"
"No."
