Chapter 12
“Drop the mask, Lucy.”
Austin’s voice was low and sharp, carrying an intimate edge. The grand hall had finally emptied, leaving only the echo of footsteps and the faint scent of his cologne. His eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her pulse stutter.
“It is just us now,” he said, stepping closer. “No dynasty. No show.”
Lucy’s lips parted, her breath slipping out like smoke. “And what are we without the mask, Austin?”
A daring silence stretched between them before Austin took another step forward, his jaw tense. “Two strangers tied by a piece of paper… nothing more.”
Her heart lurched, but she lifted her chin in defiance. “Then let us make one thing clear,” she said, her words like steel beneath velvet. “We play the perfect couple when the world is watching. Bu
