POV: Siena Blake

The moment the heavy glass doors of Lucian’s office closed behind us with a soft but final thud, I felt the weight in the air shift.

Everything changed in that silence.

It was the kind of silence that didn’t feel empty. It was loud—sharp—dense with unspoken tension and restrained anger. The kind that made it hard to breathe. The kind that wrapped around your chest like iron bands and made you feel small without anyone saying a word.

Lucian didn’t speak.

He didn’t even glance at me.

Instead, he walked across the wide, spotless marble floor with the same calm, purposeful stride he always had. He looked...