Lucas POV
Alpha Gregory studied me a moment longer, then grunted noncommittally and turned to leave, pausing only to place a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Be careful," he murmured to her. "Leopards rarely change their spots."
When we were alone, Vanessa approached me, her expression guarded. "Did you mean it?" she asked quietly. "Or is this just another manipulation?"
I reached for her hand, half expecting her to pull away. When she didn't, I interlaced our fingers, feeling the familiar warmth of her skin against mine.
"I meant it," I said, the admission easier than I'd anticipated. “About giving up Lily entirely—I won't lie to you about that. About valuing what we have, what we've built together. That was never a lie, Vanessa."
She squeezed my hand once before releasing it. "It's a start," she said, her voice carrying a fragile hope. "A small one, but it's something."
As started moving towards the door but I caught her just in time pulling her back.
