Orion's gaze fell to Thorne's neck, and his brow furrowed. "You need to stay alive to find Evangeline," he said. "Don't be reckless."
He wouldn't have been worried about the old Thorne, but now…
Thorne sensed Orion's gaze and quickly raised a hand to cover the Contract Mark on his neck.
His gaze was cold as he said calmly, "Evangeline isn't what's most important anymore. Staying alive is."
Orion pursed his lips, his gaze somber. "You're still thinking about Flora?"
Thorne clenched his fist as bitterness spread through his chest, gnawing at him like insects—an agony so intense he wished for death.
He had just come of age when he encountered a female like Evangeline. She forced him into a Contract, ruining his life. Then, in his darkest moment of pain and despair, he met a female who was utterly devoted to him—one who even leaped from Thorncliff for his sake.
Orion sighed softly. "Flora really did just want you to live," he said in a low voice.
