Across the room, Kairo stood surrounded by a cluster of powerful men, his posture relaxed but commanding. He was a natural in this world, born into it, molded by it. His presence dominated, every gesture deliberate, every word calculated. He didn’t need to hear the whispers to know they existed. He probably expected them.
Arielle knew he hadn’t married her for love. Theirs was a deal wrapped in chains of convenience and control, and she had walked into it with her eyes open. Still, she hadn’t been prepared for the weight of being Mrs. Vescari—the scrutiny, the judgment, the way people looked at her like she was an imposter in a costume she had no right to wear.
“Smile, darling,” a woman cooed as she passed Arielle, her eyes gleaming with false warmth. “Your face will wrinkle before its t
