Chapter 18 Seventeen

• Kieran repeated her name, as if savoring the way it rolled off his tongue, his gaze remaining fixed on her. "It seems my brother has taken quite a liking to you," he remarked with a small smile, glancing at Darius with fond amusement.
• Though slightly flustered by the attention, Avelyn responded with a modest nod, her face growing warmer under Kieran's scrutiny. Meanwhile, Draeven stood in silent disbelief, his mismatched eyes glinting with irritation. *The audacity,* he thought. *She can display modesty and grace before Kieran, yet all she offers me is stubborn defiance?*
• Draeven cleared his throat, cutting through the moment. "Avelyn," he said, his tone noticeably colder, "is indeed an unusual servant."