Lucian’s POV

My fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles cracked and turned bone-white. I could feel the tendons straining under my skin, the sharp bite of my own nails digging into my palms. My jaw locked hard enough to ache; teeth grinding together until the sound scraped inside my skull. Every muscle in my body was coiled, ready to snap.

I stared at my mother across the living room like she was a stranger wearing a familiar face. Sophia sat rigid on the edge of the sofa, eyes wide, hands folded too neatly in her lap. The air felt thick, heavy with the lies that had been floating around...