Soraya's POV
The hot afternoon air was sharp as I stepped out toward the front of the palace, the gravel crunching beneath my shoes. Asha followed silently a step behind, her head bowed, her presence a shadow at my back. The courtyard stretched before us, wide and immaculate, the sunlight glinting off the polished stones.
That's when I saw him.
Ethan stood at the edge of the drive, leaning casually against a Volkswagen ID.Buggy. His expression was unreadable, carved from stone as his eyes tracked me.
"About time you came," he said, his voice smooth but edged, as he slid into the driver's seat.
I stopped a few feet away, staring at him, my hands curling into fists at my sides. Anger churned low in my stomach, but confusion edged it—why had he called for me?
"Come on, hop in. I don't have time."
He didn't even look at me when he spoke.
