The words slid into her mind like a cold blade.
Most important person… to Alice.
Amelia's breath caught. For the briefest second, she imagined it — Alice looking at her the way she sometimes looked at Julies, that quiet softness in her eyes. Alice seeking her out first. Alice choosing her over anyone else.
But the image shattered almost as quickly as it formed, replaced by a surge of hot shame.
How dare he.
Her fists clenched so tight her nails dug into her palms. This wasn't a gift he could offer. Alice's trust, Alice's warmth — those weren't things to be bought or stolen through deals with demons.
"You… think I would accept something like that?" Amelia's voice trembled, but not with fear. "That I'd let you decide my worth to her?"
Julies tilted his head, and though Amelia couldn't see his true face, she could feel the smirk in his voice.
