Catching sight of him, Celeste Vaughn’s polite smile froze into absolute stillness

The sterile, concrete walls of the holding cell felt miles away from the gilded ceilings of the mansion above. Celeste stared up at Evren, the absolute certainty of her impending doom finally breaking through her aristocratic arrogance.

"It was just a mistake, Evren!" Celeste shrieked, grasping at the hem of his tailored trousers. "I just wanted to be free! I didn't want him to die, I just wanted him out of my life! I needed to be with you!"

"Do you expect me to believe you were innocent when you actively poisoned the man who loved you?" Evren asked, stepping back to avoid her touch as if she were diseased. "Did you not orchestrate his slow death in a remote facility to secure your own position as my wife?"

"I loved you!" Celeste sobbed, real tears of panic finally spilling over her cheeks. "I wanted us to rule together! I couldn't let some weak old man ruin our future!"

"Is my life a minor obstacle to you, or did you plan to poison me next when I proved inconvenient?" Evren asked, his voice a low, terrifying rumble that vibrated through the concrete.

He didn't wait for her to answer. He turned his broad shoulders, looking at Marcus, who was standing like a shadow just outside the cell door.

"Will you ensure she is transported to the council holding facility immediately?" Evren asked quietly. "Shall we let the commission deal with the woman who nearly brought down the eastern seaboard over a lie?"

"With pleasure, Boss," Marcus growled, stepping into the cell and grabbing Celeste roughly by the arms, hauling her to her feet.

"No! Evren, please! They will kill me!" Celeste screamed as Marcus dragged her toward the door. "You can't do this!"

"Do you truly believe you will find mercy among the wolves you fed?" Evren asked, turning his back on her completely.

Celeste’s panicked shrieks echoed down the long, concrete hallway until the heavy doors slammed shut, sealing her fate in the subterranean dark of the criminal underworld.

Evren stood in the quiet cell for a long moment, the tension slowly bleeding out of his muscular frame. He took a deep breath, the exhaustion of the night finally showing in the lines of his angular face. He turned his head, looking at Lenna, who was still standing near the wall, her hands trembling.

"Are you harmed by the truth, Lenna?" Evren asked gently, stepping closer to her.

"I... I always knew this world was dangerous," Lenna whispered, looking up into his perceptive eyes. "But I never understood the depths of the cruelty until I saw what she did."

"Do you understand why I had to burn the alliance to the ground to keep my house clean?" Evren inquired, his tattooed hand gently cupping the side of her face. His thumb brushed lightly over her delicate cheekbone, wiping away a smear of dirt.

"You risked everything," Lenna said, her voice cracking.

"Did you think I would allow the woman who saved an innocent life to serve drinks in my home?" Evren asked, a flicker of profound, protective warmth entering his cold eyes. "Are you ready to leave this uniform behind?"

Lenna looked down at her black maid dress, the white apron stained and ruined from the siege. She looked back up at the towering, terrifying man who was offering her a place in his dangerous, blood-soaked world.