Chapter : The Man in the Hollow

My ears rang.

The words echoed inside me like gunshots I couldn’t dodge.

Her father.

I stared at Mikhail, willing him to take it back. To smirk and say it was another one of his twisted games. But he didn’t.

He just looked at me with gleaming eyes and a mouth curved in mockery.

Lucien’s voice cut through the stillness, sharp as a blade.

“You’re lying.”

Mikhail’s smile widened. “Am I? Or are you afraid she’s not yours to protect anymore?”

I didn’t breathe. Couldn’t.

“Say his name,” I said, stepping forward, my voice cracking like dry ice. “If you want this deal—say...