CHAPTER 193
Lucian stood fully, his towering frame casting a shadow that finally enveloped her, yet the heat radiating from Isabella's skin ensured she was never in the dark.
He looked down at her, his expression a complex map of admiration and genuine concern. "Okay," The words were barely a breath, yet it carried the weight of a blood-oath.
Isabella blinked, her defensive posture faltering for a fraction of a second. She had expected a wall. She had prepared herself for the Sovereign's iron-clad refusal—for him to tell her that she was too unstable, too precious, or too dangerous to be unleashed.
She had expected him to treat her like the fragile miracle the rest of the world saw. But as she searched his dark eyes, she found no patronizing softness.
Instead, there was a grim, respectful recognition of the fire he saw burning behind her irises. Lucian turned away from her, his boots thudding softly against the rug as he moved back toward the office table.
