Chapter 121

Morning in the rogue castle always felt wrong. I had just finished dressing when my door swung open without a knock. Declan walked in, dressed in his usual black. His eyes found me instantly. They always did.

“There you are.”

He spoke like he’d been searching for me all morning. Maybe he had. I crossed my arms, my face like stone.

“What now?”

A corner of his mouth pulled upward. “Breakfast.”

I almost laughed. At this point, our morning meals had become a twisted domestic routine. I followed him anyway, mostly because refusing him only made him more persistent.

The great hall was crowded when we entered. Long black tables stretched under heavy chandeliers, filled with the low hum of rogues and the clatter of silverware. But the second Declan stepped inside, the noise died. Heads dropped immediately. It was a mix of fear and respect.

Declan led me to the head of the table and pulled out the chair right beside his. Not