Chapter 157

• Lost in my anger at her brother, I hadn’t noticed her rise to her feet and make her way toward me. She collapsed into my arms, and for a moment, the rage subsided, replaced by the overwhelming need to keep her safe.
• “I don’t understand what’s happening.” She touched my face and searched my eyes. “How?”
• I reached for her wrist. My fingers closed around it, the delicate bones fragile under my grasp. She didn’t resist, but her eyes darted up to meet mine, questioning. I didn’t explain—not yet. Instead, I tilted her hand, examining the bracelet that circled her wrist. The diamond caught the light, glinting like it had a secret of its own. And it did.