James POV

I emitted a sound of dry laughter. "Not at all." "I’m completely serious."

She shook her head, doubtful. "James, if this is a sick joke—"

"It isn't." I interrupted her, my voice becoming noticeably more intense. "Pay attention to me, Alexis." Rose is no longer the same woman we once manipulated. She has transformed. She moves differently, speaks differently, and holds herself as if she’s invincible. I stopped, allowing the impact of my words to be absorbed. “She ...