The world fell away — no court, no whispers, no prince, no schemes. Just him and her, and the unspoken storm between them that finally shattered.
At first, Lucien froze in shock, but then his arms were around her, pulling her tight against him, deepening the kiss like a man starved. Months of tension and unsaid words poured into it.
When they finally broke apart, both breathless, Isadora's hand still gripping his jacket, she whispered, "I don't want the prince. I don't care what they think. It's you, Lucien. Only you."
Lucien searched her face, his anger melting into something raw and aching. He brushed a strand of ginger hair from her face.
"You drive me insane, you know that?"
"Good," she smirked, tears and laughter mixed in her voice. "Because you do the same to me."
They stood there, foreheads touching, letting the music from inside drift over them, hearts pounding in time.
