There was no going back now. The moment Aria spoke the truth aloud that this war began with her — something irreversible had taken hold. It was no longer a matter of strategy or containment. It was no longer about calculated responses and measured restraint. It was exposure. And exposure had a cost.
Lucien felt it in the silence that followed her final words. Not confusion. Not hesitation. But clarity. Sharp. Unforgiving. Absolute.
“You’re not just trying to win,” he said quietly, his gaze fixed on her with an intensity that stripped away every layer of pretense.
“You’re trying to end him.” Aria didn’t respond immediately.
Because the truth was — He wasn’t wrong. But neither was he entirely right.
“I’m trying to stop him,” she signed. Lucien’s jaw tightened slightly. “That’s not the
