Her stare lingered, unblinking. The quiet between us grew thick, so sharp that even Perno stirred from his indifference, flicking an ear in vague curiosity.
Finally, Amelia broke it.
"You presume too much, demon." Her voice was crisp, laced with frost. "Not everything can be reduced to ambition and personal gain. Some of us still remember the meaning of legacy."
I laughed—soft, deliberate, the kind of laugh that never reached the eyes.
"Legacy? A pretty word for shackles." I leaned forward, elbows resting lazily on the table, my grin widening. "Tell me, Amelia Frost… if this was only about your family's legacy, would you really be sitting here across from me, dealing with a creature you despise? Or is it that—"
I tapped the map spread between us with one finger. "—you have something more personal at stake?"
Her lips pressed into a thin line. The mask didn't crack, not quite, but I caught the flicker in her gaze—the kind of flicker that betrayed more than words ever could.
