The room felt colder than usual as I stood there, staring at Damien across the wide expanse of his study. The crackling firelight did little to warm the air between us. He was watching me with that calm, calculating expression, one I was beginning to understand was his mask—his armor against the world, maybe even against himself. I'd come here, ready to confront him, prepared to demand answers, but now, with him in front of me, the words tangled in my throat.
He finally broke the silence. "What did Victor say to you?" His voice was low, controlled, yet I sensed something uneasy beneath it, a flicker of worry I didn't often see in him.
I let out a breath, my anger flaring up again as I thought about Victor's smug words. "He told me I was part of some… scheme," I said, my voice wavering. "That you married me because I was vulnerable. Convenient." I swallowed, fighting to keep my voice steady. "Is that true, Damien?"
