Bellas POV
Lucian’s grip on my hand tightened just enough to remind me he was there—solid, unshakable. He leaned in close, his voice a low rumble only I could hear.
“I’m going to make sure your father leaves. You’re not facing him alone.”
I nodded, grateful for his fierce promise.
He wove through the crowd with purpose, his presence parting the sea of powerful figures like a storm. Before he disappeared, he gave me a glance—half warning, half reassurance.
Stay here. I’ll be back.
I was alone.
The hum of whispered voices swirled around me, soft yet sharp, slicing through the grandeur of the hall like cold knives.
At first, I thought it was about my hair—the silver-gray strands fading into soft amethyst tips, a rare, unnatural blend that my own family had mocked since childhood. Or
