Kaelen's POV
Kaelen hadn't slept.
Dawn light crept through his study windows, painting everything gray and cold. He sat at his desk staring at the same report he'd been pretending to read for three hours. The words blurred together, meaningless.
All he could see was Lady Sera's face.
Those storm-blue eyes hiding secrets. The way she'd moved in his arms like she'd waltzed in that ballroom a thousand times before. The electricity that had sparked between them when their hands touched.
And the fear.
She'd been terrified during their dance. Not of him specifically, but of something. Someone. Like she was standing in a room full of ghosts only she could see.
You move like a princess.
Kaelen's own words echoed in his mind. It had been meant as an observation, maybe even a compliment. But the moment he'd said it, Lady Sera's face had gone pale. Her pulse had jumped in her throat.
Like she was hiding something about being a princess.
Which was impossible.
Wasn't it?
Kaelen rubbed his eyes, exhaustion making his thoughts fuzzy. He was being ridiculous. Lady Sera was a merchant from the provinces. Wealthy, well-educated, but ultimately just another ambitious woman seeking court connections.
The fact that she reminded him of someone meant nothing.
Except it meant everything, and Kaelen couldn't ignore it anymore.
He unlocked his desk drawer and pulled out a file he rarely looked at—one that had haunted him for five years.
Princess Cassia Valordane's case file.
His hands trembled as he opened it. The princess's portrait stared up at him from the first page. Silver-blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. Storm-blue eyes wide with desperate innocence. Delicate features set in an expression that had begged him to see the truth.
He'd sentenced her to death anyway.
Kaelen traced the edge of the portrait with one finger, guilt twisting in his chest like a blade.
When truth comes to light, history will remember which of you had courage and which had only obedience.
Her final words before execution. He'd tried to forget them. Tried to bury his guilt in endless work and rigid duty.
But late at night, when sleep wouldn't come, he still heard her voice. Still saw her face as guards dragged her away. Still wondered if he'd made a terrible mistake.
A knock at his door made him close the file quickly.
Enter, Kaelen called.
Commander Viktor Ashenblade stepped inside, still wearing his night patrol uniform. He was Kaelen's guard captain, but more importantly, his oldest friend. The only person Kaelen trusted completely.
You summoned me at dawn. Viktor raised an eyebrow. This must be serious.
I need you to investigate someone. Kaelen pulled out a blank report form, writing quickly. Lady Sera Ashwood. I want her background checked completely. Family history, business dealings, financial records, where she's lived for the past five years—everything.
Viktor took the paper, scanning it. The merchant from last night? She seemed harmless enough.
No one is harmless at court. Kaelen stood, pacing to the window. And she's hiding something. I'm certain of it.
What makes you think that?
Kaelen was silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully. The way she moved during our dance. The way she carries herself. The fear in her eyes when she looked at Emperor Dorian and Lady Elara. She's not who she claims to be.
Maybe she's just nervous about being at court?
Viktor. Kaelen turned, his voice hard. I've been reading people my entire life. Lady Sera isn't nervous. She's terrified. And people are only that afraid when they're hiding something dangerous.
Viktor studied his friend with concern. You haven't been this obsessed with investigating someone in years. What's really bothering you about this woman?
Kaelen looked back at the locked drawer where Princess Cassia's file lay hidden. She reminds me of someone.
Who?
I don't know yet. Kaelen met Viktor's eyes. That's what I need you to find out.
After Viktor left, Kaelen returned to his desk. But instead of working, he found himself thinking about the dance. About the way Lady Sera had fit perfectly in his arms. The way her breath had caught when he'd pulled her close. The impossible spark between them that felt like recognition.
Like coming home to someone he'd never met.
You're losing your mind, Kaelen told himself. She's a stranger. A suspicious stranger who's probably involved in something illegal.
But even as he thought it, part of him whispered: What if she's not a stranger at all?
Sera's POV
You danced with him?!
Rhys stared at Sera across her townhouse sitting room, looking torn between disbelief and fury.
I didn't have a choice, Sera said, pacing the floor. He sent a servant. It was a command, not a request.
Rhys ran a hand through his dark hair. He was her guard, but also a Shadowhand operative—part of the criminal network that had pulled her from that coffin five years ago. He'd been with her through everything since. Knew all her secrets.
What did he say? Rhys demanded.
That I move like a princess.
Damn it. Rhys stood abruptly. He suspects. We need to leave. Tonight. Before
No. Sera stopped pacing, meeting his eyes. We haven't accomplished anything yet. We came here to expose Elara and Marcellus, to prove the conspiracy. Running now means five years of preparation wasted.
Five years of preparation won't matter if you're arrested!
He doesn't know who I am, Sera insisted. He suspects I'm hiding something, but that's all. Half the nobles at court are hiding something. I just need to be more careful.
Rhys studied her face. There's something you're not telling me.
Sera looked away.
Sera. His voice softened. What happened during that dance?
She was silent for a long moment. Then, quietly: I felt something.
Felt what?
A connection. When he touched me, it was like... She struggled for words. Like electricity. And when I looked into his eyes, I saw guilt there. Real guilt. Like he's been carrying something heavy for years.
Of course he has guilt! Rhys's frustration boiled over. He sentenced you to death! He condemned an innocent woman based on lies!
I know. Sera's voice was barely a whisper. But what if he didn't realize they were lies? What if he believed the evidence was real?
Does that make it better?
No. But it makes him... She paused. Human. Flawed. Not the monster I've been imagining for five years.
Rhys stared at her like she'd lost her mind. You can't sympathize with him. He tried to kill you.
I'm not sympathizing. I'm trying to understand. Sera turned to face him. If Kaelen genuinely believed I was guilty, then he was following his duty. Doing what he thought was right. That's different from Elara and Marcellus, who knew I was innocent and framed me anyway.
He still signed your death warrant.
Yes. Sera's jaw tightened. And I'll never forget that. But understanding his motivations might help us predict his next move.
Rhys crossed his arms. His next move is investigating you. Thoroughly. Which means we need to move faster. We find evidence of the conspiracy, expose them, and leave before he figures out who you are.
How much time do we have?
Days. Maybe a week if we're lucky. Rhys pulled out a document. My Shadowhand contacts say Kaelen's guard captain is already asking questions about your background. Once they start digging, they'll find inconsistencies.
Fear twisted through Sera's chest. Then we accelerate the timeline. What do we know about Elara and Marcellus's current plans?
Not enough. We need access to their private correspondence, their meeting schedules, their financial records. Rhys met her eyes. Which means you need to get closer to the inner court. Become someone they trust.
While Duke Kaelen is investigating me?
Exactly. Rhys's expression was grim. You'll be walking a tightrope. One wrong step, and you fall.
Sera thought about Kaelen's gray eyes studying her. About the way he'd held her during the dance with surprising gentleness. About the suspicion and curiosity and something else flickering in his gaze.
I can handle it, she said with more confidence than she felt.
Can you? Rhys asked quietly. Because you came back here shaking. And I've never seen you shaken by anything, not even when we pulled you out of that coffin with minutes to spare.
Sera didn't answer. Couldn't answer.
Because Rhys was right. Duke Kaelen Nightraven had shaken her in ways suffocation never had.
He made her feel seen. Noticed. Like he was looking past her disguise straight to the truth buried beneath.
And that was more dangerous than any investigation.
I'll be careful, Sera finally said.
Rhys nodded, but doubt shadowed his face. Just remember—he's not your ally. No matter what you felt during that dance, he's the man who tried to kill you. Don't forget that.
I won't, Sera promised.
But as Rhys left and she stood alone in her townhouse, Sera couldn't stop thinking about the warmth of Kaelen's hand on her waist. The electric spark when their palms touched. The way he'd looked at her like she was the most fascinating mystery he'd ever encountered.
Somewhere in the palace, Duke Kaelen Nightraven was planning his investigation.
And Sera was caught between two impossible truths:
She needed to stay hidden from the man hunting her secrets.
But part of her—a dangerous, reckless part—wanted him to find her.
Wanted him to see who she really was.
Even if that discovery destroyed them both.