"Of course... I would never betray you, my queen."
With those words, a soft, wicked laughter slipped from Evangeline's lips, a chilling sound that echoed through the private chamber and deepened the gnawing unease in Julian's chest. In a sudden, meticulously calculated motion, she closed the remaining distance between them, extending her arms to pull him into a deep, lingering embrace.
It was an unexpected warmth—one that did not merely startle Julian, but descended upon Silver, watching from his dark corner, like a torrent of ruthless, scalding lava. At that precise moment, Silver felt as though the very core of his chest had been splintered into infinitesimal shards. Every trace of mocking amusement vanished from his features. His body froze, his hands clenching behind his back until his knuckles turned stark white, his eyes burning with a fatal jealousy and a primal, unbridled fury at the sight of another man permitted to touch his queen.
