Chapter 135
Sebastian
The palace grounds stretch endlessly, manicured to the point of cruelty.
Every hedge is trimmed within an inch of its life, every stone path scrubbed until it gleams. It is a place designed to project control—order imposed so thoroughly it almost feels violent.
I walk beside Prince Anderson beneath the pale afternoon sun, my steps measured, my expression pleasant, my thoughts anything but.
I am here for one reason.
And I am failing.
I angle my path deliberately, steering us closer to the eastern wing...the bastard's wing.
The air here feels different, heavier. Guards in formal black move with quiet precision, their eyes alert, hands never straying far from their weapons. The security is unmistakably tighter than the rest of the palace, rivaling even the King's own wing.
It irritates me.
"—Oh! How did we get here?" Anderson says suddenly, slowing his steps and looking around with exaggerated confusion.
"This is Jack's side of the palace."
