Damian stood on the balcony and watched the carriage disappear through the palace gates, his expression remaining calm until the last glimpse of it vanished beyond the outer walls.
Candice sat inside with three Royal Guards accompanying her, exactly as he had ordered. To anyone watching from a distance, the arrangement looked like a precaution taken by a cautious prince after discovering that the woman had unknowingly become connected to an assassination attempt.
In reality, Damian had deliberately placed a target on her back. The rumor spreading through the capital was that Candice had agreed to cooperate with the Royal Police and was currently helping them reconstruct the faces of the people connected to her dead boyfriend. The Royal Guards protecting her apartment were there to make the story convincing, but they also served another purpose. Damian wanted anyone watching her to believe that she was valuable to him.
