His jaw locked.
I hated how small my voice sounded. I wasn't even trying to sound accusatory. I was just trying to understand.
"You had eyes on me," I whispered. "The moment I walked into that suite the first night… you knew."
He still didn't speak.
"Kael." My voice cracked this time. "Say something."
He exhaled through his nose like he'd been holding in a scream. His voice came out low. Flat. Dangerous.
"I told Niko to keep an eye on you."
I should've expected it. I did expect it. But it still hit different hearing it out loud. Like something broke open inside my chest and the air came rushing out.
"For your safety," he added. "And for my sanity. I needed to know what Ash was planning. And then you walked into that place like you already belonged to her."
I blinked. "Belonged to—?"
He turned to me fully, and I flinched—not because he raised his voice or his hand, but because of what I saw in his eyes.
Rage.
