~Lucian’s POV

I returned to the torture room after a few hours, my mind no calmer than when I had left. Bella’s absence gnawed at me like a persistent wound, and the thought of her out there—alone, angry, and hurt—made my chest tighten. Kate was still chained to the chair, her head slumped forward as she sobbed quietly.

I closed the heavy door behind me, the echo reverberating through the room. She flinched at the sound, raising her tear-streaked face to look at me.

"Your Majesty, ...