“You’re making a mistake, Lena.”
Magnus’s voice sliced through the room like a blade, sharp and confident. He stood tall in the council chamber of Elias’s estate, his shoulders squared, jaw clenched, eyes locked on mine like I was prey. But I wasn’t that shattered girl he rejected anymore.
I met his gaze without blinking. “You already made the biggest mistake, Magnus. I’m just trying to survive yours.”
Elias stood to my left, arms crossed over his chest. He hadn’t said a word since Magnus barged in with his entitled demands. But the energy radiating from him was lethal—contained but dangerous. A ticking bomb.
Magnus laughed, low and bitter. “You think hiding behind him makes you powerful?”
“She’s not hiding,” Elias said, his voice low and steady. “She’s choosing.”
I felt the weight o
