Bella's POV
My lashes fluttered as I blinked, each movement deliberate and slow.
I offered Julian a weak, apologetic smile. "Lord Sinclair, you've got it wrong. It's not that I don't want to—I just can't find the words."
Julian froze, staring at me with disbelief creeping across his features. I could see the memories flickering in his eyes—of the child I used to be, the one who never stopped talking about food vendors, clouds overhead, even the birds perched in branches. Back then, I could spend hours chattering about a single ant. I knew he was remembering all of this as he looked at me now, and I could practically see the question forming in his mind: how could I now claim to have nothing to say? The absurdity of it wasn't lost on me either.
His eyes grew frosty. "So you just don't know what to say to me specifically?"
Julian had always been aware of Lucius and me.
He'd assumed I would end up marrying Lucius, but Ivy surprised everyone by becoming Lucius's bride instead.
