Lucien’s eyes pinned me, sharp and skeptical. His voice finally cut through the heavy silence.
“How should I believe you, Kael?”
The corner of my mouth tugged upward. I’d been expecting that. “I heard your birthday is in a few days,” I said evenly, watching his brows twitch. “The contract will be signed then.”
For a moment, nothing. Then Lucien leaned back and threw his head back in laughter. The sound filled the entire room, a mocking echo that rattled the quiet tension. His laughter stretched until it bordered on cruelty, and then he wiped his eyes, smirking.
“Fine,” he said at last, the grin lingering on his lips. “That will be the best gift I’ve ever received on my birthday.”
I could’ve stopped there. I should’ve stopped there. But my chest tightened with the weight of what I had
