(Eleanor's POV)

“Mr. Vale, this is a police case,” the policeman stuttered.

Lucian strode in. His steps were heavy, each one resounding in the hallway; everywhere was quiet. Only the sound of beeping machines could be heard.

He stopped in front of me, his eyes sharpening at what he saw, then they trailed down to the tear in my dress.

“Who did this?” His voice was solid; each word carried power. The policeman stepped back, clearly not wanting to be caught in the crossfire.

“It's fine, I did it myself,” my voice came out as a whisper, his presence stealing all the air from my lungs. He noticed the fear...