Chapter 196

• ZETIAN'S POV
• The moment Mr. Luciano stepped into the Garden, his sharp eyes fell first on the small figure standing beside me. He scanned Little Prince from head to toe, making sure his grandson was unhurt. Only after that reassurance did his gaze cut toward me—cold, sharp, unyielding.
• He may have been retired for years, but his presence was still formidable, forged by decades of ruling Imperial. Every step he took carried authority. His stare pinned me in place, making the air between us heavy.