Seraphina's Point Of View
I prayed… actually prayed, that the earth would crack open and swallow me whole.
Not gently. Violently. Right there beneath my heels.
Because standing in front of them… him, with my spine straight and my chin lifted like I hadn't once shoved him and called him an asshole was a level of acting I hadn't rehearsed for.
Breathe. Just breathe.
Rose cleared her throat, the sound far too loud in the heavy silence. "These are the new executives from headquarters," she said warmly, oblivious, blissfully unaware that my soul was currently trying to escape through my ears. "I've told Ms. Vale so much about you."
Draven's gaze never left my face.
Not when Rose spoke. Not when Azriel shifted in his chair. Not when Lucien folded his hands like a judge about to pass sentence.
"Have you," Draven murmured.
The word felt deliberate. Weighted.
