Chapter 6

Caspian’s fingers trembled as he dialed Aurelian’s number. The line clicked after three rings, replaced by a robotic purr: ”;The user you’ve called is unavailable. Please try again—”; ”;LIAR!”; He hurled the phone at the wall. The device’s emains sparked near Cilian’s feet, but she didn’t flinch, too busy staring at the eight-figure receipt for the vase. ”;infringement of the right of portrait？”; Caspian laughed, sharp and bitte. ”;Ah, right… this.”; The folder in his grasp still smelled of Aurelian’s scent. As the pages unfurled, his alpha aura shattered. BOND-BREAKING DECLARATION The ink was still damp, her signature a jagged slash across the bottom. ”;No.”; The word was a whimper, foreign on his tongue. ”;She can’t—won’t—not without my consent.”; Cilian’s smirk was a knife to the gu. ”;Oh, but she can. See the bloodstains? ”; She stepped closer, voice honeyed. ”;Face it, Caspian. I will be always by your side.”; He staggered, clutching the desk for