The balcony did not hold silence for long.
It held tension.
Tight.
Unyielding.
Waiting.
Lucien didn’t move after she left.
His hand still tingled where he had grabbed her.
Not from the contact.
From the way she had pulled away.
Final.
The cold air didn’t touch him the same way.
Or maybe he didn’t care.
For a moment—
Neither of them spoke.
Then—
“You don’t get to touch her like that.”
Kael’s voice was low.
Controlled.
But it carried weight.
Lucien exhaled slowly.
Still facing forward.
“Stay out of it.”
Kael let out a quiet breath.
Almost a laugh.
But without humor.
“That’s the problem,” he said. “You think this is something I can stay out of.”
Lucien turned then.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Kael’s gaze met his.
Unflinching.
“You rejected her.”
The words landed clean.
