"You misunderstood—"
"I heard you, !" His voice rose, filling the room with its intensity. "I heard every word. You're talking about becoming Luna like it was some prize you'd been planning to win. Like my father's death would be just an opportunity for you to climb higher."
Tears burned behind my eyes, but I blinked them back furiously. "That's not what I meant. If you had stayed to hear the whole conversation instead of jumping to conclusions—"
"I heard enough." He cut me off, taking another step closer. "Enough to know exactly what kind of person you are. Enough to know that this—" he gestured between us, his hand shaking slightly, "—this bond, this marriage, it's all part of your plan."
"There is no plan!" The words burst out of me, louder than I intended. "Steven, please, if you w
