Cass’s POV

"Serge, why would they keep him in a house room? Wouldn't it make more sense to use a cell?"

"My guess is they want to keep him close. To use him as leverage against you," Serge replies.

That makes sense. As we round a corner, I run into Julia. She’s fuming, her eyes red-rimmed and fierce.

"This is all your fault!" she shrieks. "Alexis is being punished because of you! If he dies—"

"Colt will not be killed," I snap, my voice cold. "I’ll raise hell if anyone tries."

"You did this to him! Why couldn't you just leave him alone?" She isn't listening, her rage spiraling. "I hate you, and I swear, if something happens to him, I’ll make you pay!"

"Enough, Julia!" Serge barks from behind me. "You don't speak to her that way."

Julia grits her teeth. "I don't care who she is! I love him. Alexis shouldn't have to suffer for her mistakes."

Love?

The word stings, but I push the jealousy down.

"His name is Colt," I correct her firmly. "And I intend to do everything in my power to keep him safe."

She just stares at me, stunned by my conviction. I turn my back on her and continue my search.

I find the room easily. Two guards stand sentinel, but when I approach, they step into my path. I tilt my head, glancing at Serge. "What happens if they try to stop me, Serge?"

Serge lets out a predatory growl, and the guards scramble back, their bravado evaporating. I feel like a brat, leveraging my power, but I don't care. I push past them and open the door.

The room is dim. Colt lies on the bed, his wrists cuffed to the frame. He looks weak, his body mapped with deep, silver-laced cuts, but he’s already healing. When he sees me, he tries to sit up, a flash of relief crossing his face. "Cass!"

I climb onto the bed, hovering over him. "Did they tend to your wounds?"

He nods. "Let me explain, please."

"Don't talk. You’ve said enough."

"No," he rasps, forcing himself up against the headboard. "I haven't said enough. I lied to you, and I was a coward. But listen..."

He recounts his journey—the ladder he climbed to infiltrate Warrick’s inner circle, the desperate quest to kill the man who ruined his life, and the twisted fate that led him to find me. He explains that while he was ordered to woo me, his feelings had become real long before we reached this place.

"I fought my orders, Cass. I fought them with everything I had. But once we were caught, I had no choice. I had to protect you, so I played the part. I wanted to keep you hidden from him forever."

"And the seduction? Was that part of the act?"

"The order was part of the act," he whispers, his eyes locking onto mine. "But the love? That was real. It’s been real from the start. That plan to use you against Warrick? I abandoned that months ago. You are the only thing that matters."

I absorb his words in silence. My heart is a battlefield of betrayal and undeniable yearning. I need space to breathe.

"I have to think," I say, pulling away.

"Cass, wait—I love you."

I don't answer. I leave him there, my heart pounding in my throat.

In the sunroom, I try to find peace, but Ezra finds me instead.

"I realize I ruined everything," he says, his voice deceptively soft. "But we have a connection. We are fated."

"I am in love with your brother, Ezra," I say, looking him straight in the eye. "I’m not saying this to hurt you, but you need to understand where my heart lies. It was never with you."

"I’m your true mate! You’re meant for me!"

"That bond means nothing to me. You pushed me away, you treated me like dirt, and now you’re paying the price. Accept it. Move on."

He pleads, tries to gaslight me, tries to bargain with his own family’s blood, but his desperation only makes him look pathetic. When he tries to step closer, his eyes dart to my neck, clearly imagining a mark I will never give him.

"You’re mine," he hisses, backing away. "I’ll be damned if I let Colt have you."

"In your dreams," I murmur.

I’m furious—at Ezra, at Warrick, and especially at Colt for making this so complicated. I march back to his room, ignore the protests of the guards, and storm inside.

He’s sleeping, looking tragically handsome even in shackles. I climb onto the bed, straddling him. He wakes instantly, his eyes widening.

"Cass?"

"I’m still angry at you," I say, my voice trembling. "But... I love you."

"You do?" He looks stunned. "You never said it before."

"Well, I’m saying it now. Don't think you’re forgiven, though."

He gives me a slow, wicked smirk. "What can I do to make it right?"

"Nothing," I whisper, leaning down to his ear. "I’m in charge now. Let me have my way with you."

His brow arches, his eyes burning with desire. "Do whatever you want to me, Angel."