Elena's POV
"You've been quiet since your call with the council."
I found Damian in his office well after most of the floor had cleared out for the evening, the last of the daylight fading into soft amber behind him, his tie loosened and his expression carrying the particular exhaustion of a man who'd spent hours navigating careful, diplomatic minefields.
"They're nervous," he said, rubbing a hand over his face. "Victor's been quietly suggesting to a few of the more impressionable council members that the engagement might not survive scrutiny. Nothing direct enough to act against, just enough doubt to make people uneasy."
"Do you think it's working?"
"A little. Enough to worry me." He gestured toward the chair across from his desk, and I settled into it, grateful for a quiet moment af
