Hayden's POV
Lunch at Silas’s penthouse had started as a relaxed and easy-going affair. I’d expected to feel out of place, but instead, I’d laughed more in the last hour than I had in weeks. Silas and Sareena made it feel… natural.
Then, everything changed.
The door opened, and two figures stepped inside.
Lucas—tall, broad-shouldered, and exuding quiet authority—entered first, his sharp eyes sweeping across the room.
But it was the woman beside him who truly captured my attention.
She was stunning.
Golden brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and an effortless grace that spoke of status and power. She held herself like someone who knew she belonged everywhere she stepped.
Yet, when she saw me, her expression faltered.
Just for a second.
Then, she masked it with a poli
