IVY'S POV
"My child?"
The words hung between us, fragile and almost unreal. After years of cold contempt, after every glance that had reduced me to nothing more than a living reminder of my mother's betrayal, hearing him call me that now, cracked something deep inside my chest.
I didn't know how to react. Part of me wanted to demand answers. But the stronger part, the one that had survived his hatred for so long, kept me rooted in place, trembling.
Nicholas didn't interrupt. He watched the exchange with that same calm, predatory stillness, his presence pressing into the room like something inevitable. Then, without wasting a word, he rose to his feet and extended his hand toward me. The gesture was deliberate, leaving no room for refusal.
"Come, Ivy," he said, his voice smooth and final. "We have nothing else to discuss with the Velistras."
