His words hit me like a slap, but I didn’t flinch. I had no strength left for anger.
My hands curled into fists. I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to throw the plate back and tell him he wasn’t a god. But instead, I forced myself to speak, my voice nothing but air.
“Let’s just get a divorce.”
“Divorce, you say?”
Lucien let out a cold, mirthless chuckle that sliced through the thick tension like a dagger. His eyes sparkled—not with humor, but with malice thinly veiled as amusement.
“You think you can just walk away from me?” he said, stepping closer. The shadow he cast loomed over my crumpled body. “No, Mara. You don’t get to make that choice.”
I swallowed the fear crawling up my throat, forcing myself to sit upright even though my limbs shook beneath me. Deep down, I had known he wouldn’t agree to a divorce. But hearing the words from his mouth, seeing the way he loomed like a predator—sent a fresh wave of dread through my veins.
“Get up,” he barked, voice sharp with irritation. “You still owe Vanessa an apology.”
Apologize? My entire body went still. The audacity of it struck me like a blow. He wanted me to apologize—to her?