"I'm only telling the truth," Madam Creed sneered, her voice echoing off the high ceilings. "Who's going to stop me? You're empty now. You can't have kids. No man wants a broken vessel. Who would ever marry you?"
The cruelty hung in the air like a foul mist. Amara stood her ground, her face pale but her eyes like burning stars. Before the poison could settle, a shadow moved.
Julian stepped out of the dark. He didn't look at the crowd; he only had eyes for Amara. "So," he said, his voice a low, smooth rumble that commanded the room. "You're trying to tear her down just because she finally walked out of your son's shadow? That is a special kind of evil."
He turned to Amara, his expression softening into something so raw and honest it made her breath catch.
"Amara," he said, taking a step into her light. "I have loved you for ages. Since the days when we were just kids, and your heart was already promised to someone who didn't deserve it. Can you give me a chance? Marry me."
