Kurtis POV
Lyra’s trembling fingers tightened around mine as I held her close. Her warmth, her trust, it was everything to me. But tonight wasn’t about comfort. It was about strategy.
I leaned down, brushing a soft kiss to her forehead. “Lyra,” I murmured, my voice firm but tender, “we’re going to fight this, but we need to play it smart. For now, you have to keep pretending we’re not together.”
She pulled back slightly, her eyes widening. “What? Kurtis, why? I thought”
I pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her gently. “I know, baby girl. But if James or Alice catches even a hint that you’re not under their thumb anymore, they’ll escalate. They’ll come at you harder. We can’t risk that.”
She looked torn, her brows furrowing as her lips parted to argue, but I cut her off again
