Faruk’s POV
I could feel the tension radiating off Sasha as we sat through lunch with Lucien and the others. Her eyes never met mine, her body stiff and uncomfortable in her seat. It was clear she didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to be around these people—and certainly didn’t want to be with me.
But she didn’t have a choice.
I had seen the fear in her eyes earlier, the desperation when she asked about Diago. And I had used that against her. I told myself it was necessary, that she needed to understand the stakes. But even as I spoke the words, a part of me hated the way I was manipulating her.
Lucien’s teasing only made things worse. He never knew when to stop. His smug smile grated on my nerves as he poked fun at Sasha for the incident on the beach. I should’ve expected it. My brot
