Darian turned.Lord Evander Cross was striding across the auditorium floor toward their group, flanked by his two cousins, Ronan Cross and Alaric Cross. He held a glass of champagne in one hand, wearing an arrogant expression that told Darian the unpleasant encounter was only just beginning."Gideon," Lord Evander Cross said in a smooth, unhurried tone that easily carried across the quieted onlookers. "I was informed about a disturbance.""Indeed," Gideon Veyne replied, pointing at Darian as if presenting evidence. "This man cornered Seraphina, made veiled warnings, and attempted a public proposal in the middle of her promotion ceremony, right in front of the Council representatives."Lord Evander Cross raised his eyebrows with theatrical amusement. "A proposal? Him?" He scanned Darian slowly from head to toe, looking at him like an unwanted object. "Do you realize she is betrothed to me? Or did nobody inform you?""I was not told," Darian answered flatly, "until about thirty seconds

Chapter 4Darian's fingers remained curled around the velvet casing hidden inside his coat pocket.He chose not to withdraw it. Looking at it again was unnecessary when he could vividly recall standing before dozens of onlookers, offering it to the one person who had dismissed it as meaningless.Xena Vale waited in silence, giving him ample room to process the situation. She remained beneath the awning with her arms folded, watching him with calm, detached composure, as though time were a resource under her command rather than a force pushing her forward."You are weighing your options," she remarked calmly. "That suggests progress.""I am considering why a woman of your standing requires someone in my position," Darian replied. "Any prominent citizen in this city would gladly accept your terms. Half the officers inside that venue would agree to marry you tonight if you offered.""Half those officers are seeking personal gain," Xena explained firmly. "They want titles, social leverage

The rest of the evening wound down with surprising quiet, though not before Harlan had stormed out of the hall and Evander had followed right behind him.Darian accompanied Xena back to her estate once the reception cleared, eager to make the arrangement look as binding as possible now that every pair of eyes in the district was locked onto them.Even so, Darian had matters of his own to attend to. He waited until the Vale estate settled into midnight stillness before making his move.Xena's wing of the manor had gone dark an hour prior. Out at the perimeter, the guards had swapped shifts, sliding comfortably into the lazy cadence of men expecting nothing whatsoever to happen on a rainy night. A steady, soft drizzle blanketed the grounds, slicking the cobblestones and making the sprawling avenues outside an easy place to vanish into.Stepping out onto the dark stone balcony of his guest suite, Darian glanced around to ensure the yard was empty, then pressed two fingers against a small

Chapter 8The Cross estate was nothing like the promotion hall.It seemed to burn against the night.Every window across the massive residence glowed with warm light, spilling over the perfectly maintained grounds while servants moved along the driveway carrying trays of champagne. Music drifted through the open doors as guests arrived one after another.Darian had seen wealth before. He had seen the ordinary kind worn openly by families like the Veynes, and he had seen the impossible kind that powered the towers of Heavenly City.The Cross family wore theirs differently.Loudly.“You're quiet,” Xena remarked as their car moved slowly up the long driveway.“I'm listening,” Darian replied.“To what?” she asked.“Whatever this place is trying to tell me about itself.”Xena studied him for a moment, but whatever she saw in his expression made her decide against asking further questions.Inside, the ballroom was already crowded.Officers stood in small groups beside Council members. Membe