Chapter 153
Ciel
"Ciel, are you okay?" Her hand is still on my wrist, grounding me. "You seemed out of it for a moment."
I force a smile. Small. Apologetic. "My apologies. I should watch my glasses of champagne."
She studies me for a moment. I can see her weighing the lie, deciding whether to call it. She doesn't.
But her hand doesn't leave my wrist.
"That's quite alright," she says smoothly. "The champagne here is stronger than it looks."
I hold her gaze. She holds mine. And in that small space between us, something passes—acknowledgment, maybe. Understanding. She knows I'm lying. She's letting me.
Then Laurent speaks again.
"A pleasure to meet the famous omega belongingto the begotten prince."
He offers his hand.
The words land like stones. Belongingto. As if I'm something that was given. Something that was acquired. Something that can be taken back.
I don't take his hand.
