Julian’s POV

Her fingers stayed there, light and steady, like she could feel my heartbeat. Or control it.

She looked up at me, lips barely parted. Her breath warm against my skin.

“I turned you into something people trust,” she said. “Something Daemon doesn’t question. She smiled, slow and sharp.

“You think any of that happened by chance?” she asked. “No, Julian. I built that.”

She moved her hand down my chest, dragging it slowly down the middle of my shirt.

"And now I ...