When Adrian left her room that night, Selene sat on the edge of the bed, her chest rising and falling with a quiet thrill. For the first time in years, she allowed herself to smile—a true one, not the delicate mask she wore to survive in Cole’s world.
Adrian.
He wasn’t just standing by her. He was pushing back against Cole. His father.
The memory replayed in her mind—his protective stance, his defiance, the way he’d chosen her over the man who had ruled his life like a tyrant. It was subtle now, just cracks forming in a wall that had long seemed impenetrable, but cracks always widened with time.
And she would make sure of it.
Her fingers brushed her lips, recalling his kiss, but what lingered in her mind was not only the intimacy—it was the leverage. If Adrian kept walking this path,
