A tight smile pulled at his lips, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yes. I’m Ronan. Lucien’s second. His right hand.”
Anana nodded slowly, lips parting to reply but then he added, voice lower, weightier:
“And a lot of things have started to change since you showed up.”
Her breath caught.
The words weren’t a threat… but they weren’t harmless either. They sat between them like a blade laid carefully on the table, gleaming with double meaning.
Anana's breath caught as she studied his face for clues, for softness, for sarcasm but his expression gave nothing away.
Still, she stood tall, matching his gaze.
“I wasn’t trying to change anything,” she said carefully, her tone even.
“Really?” Ronan murmured, his tone low but laced with quiet intensity.
He stepped closer, his gaze didn
