Vance’s chest pressed against mine, pinning me so tightly against the wood that I could feel the violent, frantic rhythm of his heartbeat. He had the key. He had the power. He had everything.

"Tell me the truth, Ren," Vance whispered. His voice was raw, dark, and completely stripped of his usual polite warmth. He leaned down until his lips brushed against my jawline, his breath burning hot against my skin. "Why are you doing this? Why are you trying so hard to ruin your sister's life?"

I swallowed hard, my fingers clutching his shoulders just to stay standing. My submissive instincts were screaming, making me weak, but my red-flag mind was still calculating.

"I don't care about her life, Vance," I breathed, looking straight into his dark gray eyes, letting my obsession lay completely bare. "I only care about yours. I want you. I want you to stop pretending to be a saint when we both know you want to break."

Vance’s eyes tracked down to my lips. For a fraction of a second, the green-flag prince vanished completely. His grip on my waist tightened so hard it bruised, and he tilted his head, closing the final inch between us. I braced myself, my heart stopping, waiting for the devastating kiss that would change everything—

"Vance? Ren? Are you guys still up there?"

Maya’s voice sliced through the heavy silence of the attic like a knife.

Instantly, the spell broke.

Vance’s eyes went wide with sudden, suffocating guilt. Before I could even blink, his hands slammed into my shoulders, shoving me away from him with absolute force. I stumbled backward, my spine crashing against a dusty stack of wooden trunks.

He didn't look at me. He practically scrambled toward the lock, his hands shaking violently as he shoved the silver key into the deadbolt.

"Yeah, Maya! We're just finishing up!" Vance called down, his voice cracking slightly as he threw the attic door open, letting the bright hallway light flood the dark room.

He lunged down the steps without a single backward glance, leaving me alone in the dust, gasping for air, with my heart shattered across the floor.