Chapter 133
{Ronan’s POV}
I hadn’t thought of her in ages. At first I hadn’t allowed myself to, but at some point she just faded alongside everything else. Replaced by the joys of my new life. Yet there she was, lips curved into a knowing smile, her eyes fixed on me as though she had been waiting all along.
The past had a way of walking straight into the present, uninvited. And here I was thinking we wouldn't cross paths anytime soon… or ever.
For a moment I wondered if I had imagined her. The Lena I remembered… especially after our last encounter was sharper around the edges, colder, her eyes always calculating. The woman standing before me looked different somehow. Softer, maybe. Or perhaps time had blurred my memory of her face until it no longer lined up with the reality in front of me.
Something told me Lisa had so much more to do with it. Moons, I love that woman.
“Ronan,” Lena said again, her smile hesitant, as if she wasn’t sure whether to expect a greeting or a growl.
‘Oh boy. This should be fun.’ I thought, half calculating which route this conversation would go and how fast I could turn the other way. ‘Imagine how weird it would be if I forgot something major about her while she's trying at small talk.’
I straightened, setting my glass aside. “Lena.”
She took a step closer. “It’s been a long time, Ronan…”
“Not long enough,” I muttered, my tone clipped.
She laughed lightly, ignoring the undertone of my words. “Still sharp-tongued. Some things never change.”
If I'd been told months before that I would forget about Lena, I would have thought it impossible. But now? That wasn’t the case. So I was willing to bet things do change.
Her gaze searched mine, trying to dig out something that wasn’t there anymore. I had no interest in entertaining conversation or nostalgia. Not tonight, not ever. The summit was already draining enough without ghosts of my past trying to crawl out of the woodwork.
‘Wow.’ I caught myself. The amount of toxicity I was spewing, even if it was just in my mind, was insane. ‘This summit is not doing me any good.’
“Well…. Good talk,” I said, moving to turn away.
Her hand brushed my arm before I could leave. “You used to entertain me for small talk all the time,” she murmured.
I froze, then turned back, letting her see the steel in my eyes. “You used to be loyal. We both know how that ended.”
Her smile faltered.
“Whatever game you’re trying to play here, I’m not part of it,” I continued. “I don’t hold grudges for such events. But don't test how petty I can be… You made your choice. And I hope you’re as happy with Lucien or whoever it is you’re tangled with now, as much as I am with Lisa.”
Her mouth opened, then closed. The sting was visible in her eyes. She tried to conceal how the mention of Lisa made her write, but she couldn't.
I patted her shoulder lightly, not as comfort, but as dismissal. “You don’t even know what you did for me. In a strange way, maybe I should thank you. Because without you, I wouldn’t have Lisa.”
Her lips parted, shock flickering across her features. She had expected bitterness, not gratitude. That truth made walking away easier.
But before I could, another voice slithered between us.
“Well, well,” Lucien said smoothly, stepping into the circle with that smug expression he wore so well. “Our noble Ronan, the picture of loyalty and honesty. Here he is, preaching about integrity in front of the Council, yet sneaking off to flirt with an ex when no one is watching.”
I bit back the instinct to snarl. That was exactly what he wanted, a show, a slip. Anything other than composure.
“Careful, Lucien,” I said evenly. “Some of us know the difference between conversation and deceit. I wasn’t flirting. I was making it clear where I stand. And it isn’t with her.”
Lena’s eyes dropped to the floor. Lucien’s smile strained, a crack showing at the edges.
I leaned in slightly, enough that only he could hear. “You should be more concerned with your own alliances. After all, your friends have a way of biting the hand that feeds them.”
His eyes narrowed. For a moment, silence stretched, brittle and tense. Then he straightened, adjusting his cufflinks with exaggerated calm.
“You know,” he said, his voice pitched just loud enough for nearby ears to catch, “secrets never stay buried in this city. One should be careful where their men wander.”
‘No’. He knew. Or at least, he suspected. Damon’s quiet investigation wasn’t as hidden as we thought. I wrestled the urge to become paranoid, obsessing on all the ways the information could have reached him this fast and who was responsible.
I kept my face blank, but inside, the pieces shifted. If Lucien was bold enough to make that comment here, in public, then he wanted me to know he was watching. He wanted me to feel cornered.
And he fully intended to go for my best man. The one who wasn't just any man, but my brother.
Worst off, I couldn’t leave here to help. My best bet was sending backup on the Elder Veyra and Mallon Kal situation… but that would only serve to complicate things and thwart our efforts if this is just a bluff from Lucien.
‘What to do…’ I pondered silently when something else struck me, a detail that sent a colder edge through my thoughts. Elder Veyra had been present earlier, standing comfortably by Lucien’s side. Yet Elder Mallon was nowhere to be seen.
If Lucien was here, smiling and scheming, and Veyra was here, anchoring him, then where was Mallon?
I excused myself, ignoring Lena’s lingering stare and Lucien’s smirk. The noise of the summit fell behind me as I slipped into a quieter hall. I pulled out my phone and dialed Damon.
The call rang.
And rang.
No answer.