Riley's POV I froze when I heard his voice because it was loud and deep, and it carried so much power that it felt like it pushed the air out of my lungs. Everything around me seemed to stop at that moment. Even the guards who had been moving suddenly stood still, and the tension in the area grew so heavy that I could almost feel it pressing down on my shoulders. My fingers curled tightly into the fabric of my dress as I slowly turned to look at him. Sebastian was already walking toward us, and the closer he came, the more my body reacted in ways I could not control. My heart began to beat faster, and my stomach twisted with unease. I had seen him before, but standing this close to him made me understand why everyone feared and respected him so much. There was something cold in

