Jade
I entered the room with my chin held high, sweeping my gaze across the sea of surprised faces. All eyes were on me—exactly as I’d planned. My father’s head jerked up, his brows knitting together, a glint of suspicion flickering in his eyes as he rose slowly from his seat.
"Jade," he said, his voice holding a carefully controlled edge. "What do you mean by ‘another candidate,’ if not Darius? Surely, you don’t mean…” His gaze hardened as it shifted to Rowon, who lounged in his chair, an annoyingly smug smile on his face. “It better not be who I think it is.”
Rowon looked like he’d already won, his eyes glinting with unspoken challenge. The sight of it made my stomach twist, but I forced my expression to remain neutral as I approached the table.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” I rep
