Revelation slowly stepped back, her eyes locked on Damon. His expression was unreadable, cold, like he was dissecting her with his stare. For a few tense seconds, neither of them said anything. She scanned his face, trying to guess if he’d figured her out—if he knew who she really was and why she’d truly been brought here.

“You don’t need to analyze me, kitten,” he said coolly. “I know you’ve got something up your sleeve. And I’ll figure it out soon enough.”

His voice was low and biting, each word pushing her back like a force of wind. But then she stopped retreating, standing her ground, eyes blazing as the...