Chapter 1
A sharp blade pressed against my throat as the kidnapper demanded, "Who do you choose, Cassian?"
Cassian Thorne said, "Kill Seraphina. Let Isolde go free."
Those words shattered the ten years of hopeless love I'd held onto.
Blood flowed down my neck, icy cold, colder than the winter snow.
Cassian walked away with Isolde in his arms, the woman he'd finally gotten back, without even looking at me lying there dead.
Suddenly, the man behind me dropped his weapon and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind tightly.
The Fourth Prince, Lucian Thorne, leaned in and licked the blood from my neck.
He sneered, "Does it hurt? Good. It should. This is the wonderful husband you picked for yourself, Seraphina."
He pressed a dagger into my hand, his smile dark and seductive.
"Don't rush to die. Let me show you how to tear his heart out," he murmured.
*****
A sharp blade pressed against my throat as the kidnapper demanded, "Who do you choose, Cassian?"
Cassian Thorne said, "Kill Seraphina. Let Isolde go free."
His voice was icy as always.
He didn't hesitate for a second.
Those words hit me like nine icy blades, shattering the ten years of hopeless love I'd held onto.
I was Seraphina Cross, the Crown Princess of the Diongqi.
Just an hour ago, I was kidnapped along with Isolde Fay, the woman Cassian had always loved, and dragged into this abandoned courtyard.
And now, my husband, the Crown Prince of Diongqi, Cassian, had chosen to sacrifice me to save the woman he truly loved.
The blade bit deep into my flesh.
Blood flowed down my neck, icy cold, colder than the winter snow outside the window.
I stared at Cassian. He didn't even glance at me.
His eyes were locked on Isolde, her tear-streaked face trembling just a few steps away.
The tenderness and care in his gaze, after ten years by his side, he'd never once looked at me like that.
Pathetic, really. Ten years.
My family, the Crosses, had given everything to help him rise from an outcast prince to the Crown Prince.
I'd schemed for him, rallied the court officials, and shielded him from every threat, both open and hidden.
After ten years by his side, I thought even if he didn't love me, he'd at least care a little.
It turned out I was the only fool who ever cared.
The kidnapper smirked, clearly satisfied with Cassian's choice.
The blade pressed against my throat, slashed across, merciless and cold.
The pain tore through me, raw and overwhelming.
I could feel my life draining out of me quickly.
At the last moments when my consciousness slipped away, I saw Cassian hurry over and clutch Isolde tightly in his arms.
He spoke softly to comfort frightened Isolde, without even looking at me lying there dead.
Maybe that was just how it should be.
I had spent your whole life running myself ragged for him.
If there was another life, I swear I would never get mixed up with royalty again.
In the darkness, I thought I would fall into an endless abyss.
But then, a gentle warmth enveloped me, pulling me back from the edge.
Suddenly, the man with the knife behind me dropped his weapon. He didn't leave.
Instead, he pulled me into a fierce embrace from behind, holding me so tight it felt like he wanted to fuse me into his very being.
A low, rough voice sounded right by my ear. "Hurts, doesn't it, Seraphina?"
My eyes shot open.
The cut on my neck was still there, but it wasn't deep enough to kill me.
Blood spilt out, but a hand clamped down, staunching the bleeding.
The man behind me was tall, his presence dominating, and he carried an intensely musky, almost predatory scent.
He wasn't Cassian.
Cassian always smelled like icy pine.
I managed to turn my head with effort.
A seductively handsome face came into view.
He had those fox-like eyes, the corners tilting up just so, always carrying a lazy, wicked charm.
It was Lucian Thorne, the Fourth Prince of Diongqi.
He was Cassian's greatest political rival.
Why was Lucian here? Wasn't he supposed to be one of the kidnappers?
"Lucian?" My voice was so faint, it floated out soft as a feather.
Lucian smiled. He stuck out the tip of his tongue and gently licked a drop of blood from my neck.
The gesture was provocative and dangerous.
"Does it hurt? Good. It should."
There was a twisted delight in his tone, but underneath it, barely noticeable, was a flicker of sympathy, like he almost cared, but didn't want anyone to see.
Lucian sneered, "This is the wonderful husband you picked for yourself, Seraphina."
He looked right past me, fixing his gaze on the entrance of the courtyard.
Cassian was gently helping Isolde into the carriage, wrapping her in his own cloak with tender care.
From beginning to end, he never looked back at my "corpse" lying on the ground.
My heart was frozen solid. No, it was dead.
Lucian sensed how rigid I'd become.
He pressed a cold dagger into my hand.