Aurora's POV
He froze.
The hallway went quiet. Even the Council members slowed down, glancing back at us.
For a second, Oliver didn't look at me. His hand tightened around the file until the paper crumpled.
Then slowly… he lifted his head. When his blue eyes met mine, my heart dropped. There was nothing there. No anger. No pain. No warmth.
Just… emptiness that terrified me more than his rage ever could.
"Aurora," he said, his voice flat. "I thought I asked my driver to take you…."
I didn't wait for him to finish. I didn't care about the high-ranking officials or the professional mask he was trying to wear. I stepped into his space, my fingers locking around his wrist. His skin was warm against my cold hands, but he didn't pull away.
"We have to talk," I said, my voice leaving no room for argument.
"I'm busy, Aurora," he replied, his voice a flat, dead thing. "Elias can handle—"
