Elara's POV
Celeste's face cycled through three different expressions in a single second. First, shock—raw and unguarded, the mask slipping completely for the first time. Then, a cold, calculating flicker behind her eyes as she searched for a way out. By the time she opened her mouth, the tears were already there, right on cue.
"Orion, I—" Her voice trembled. "I don't even know what to say to you."
"Then don't say a damn word." His voice came out low and rough, nothing left of the calm control he usually wore like a second skin. "Don't you dare stand there and try to cry your way out of this. Not after what I just heard."
It was the first time I'd ever heard Orion speak to her like that. All his usual composure was gone—and this was Celeste, the woman he'd supposedly loved.
Also the f
