Tessa froze.
For one terrible second, panic threatened to overpower reason, because she knew exactly what came next. Fear had kept her alive for four years, had taught her when to stay silent and when to fight, and somewhere deep inside she understood that this moment mattered more than anything she had survived before.
If Roman took Leo, she would lose everything.
“My heir?” she repeated, forcing a bitter laugh that sounded far more convincing than she felt. Although her pulse hammered violently against her ribs, she lifted her chin and met his gaze directly. “Roman, you really do think too highly of yourself.”
A flicker of confusion crossed his expression, quickly sharpening into suspicion.
“What exactly is that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” she said, swallowing hard while forcing
