“Just open it.” He grins mischievously.
I unwrap the present and open the box, inside I pull out a t-shirt with a shirtless Luca sprawled across the front. I laugh.
“You gifted me a shirt with a half-naked you on it?” I fall back against my pillows with laughter.
He pulls me back up, chuckling to himself.
“Thought maybe you could wear it to bed and know that I'm looking out for you.” He winks and I roll my eyes.
“You're ridiculous, but thank you. That laugh was just what I needed.” I wipe my eyes and smile at him.
“Alright, get ready, and I'll meet you downstairs.” Luca hops up, blowing me a kiss and leaving my room.
I quickly change into some shorts and throw on a random t-shirt.
When I open my door, Jace is standing there—fist raised mid-knock.
His eyes widen, sweeping over me.
“What are you doing here?” I ask flatly.
“I, um—” Jace clears his throat, visibly scrambling. “I wanted to wish you a happy birthday.”
I blink. “Thanks.”
I move to step around him.
“Wait, Isobel—” He reaches out and catches my wrist.
“No.” I yank my arm back like his touch scalded me. “Don’ttouch me.”
Jace’s hand drops immediately, fingers curling in slow defeat. “Can we please talk? I just need to explain.”
“I don’t need an explanation, Jace. I don’t even want your apology.” Mybreath shakes with the force of it. “There is nothing you can say that excuses what I had to endure in that place.”
“I was trying to protect you!” He steps closer, desperate.
“Well, you did a shitty job.” His flinch is immediate.
“You don’t know what I had to do to keep you safe,” Jace says quietly, voice rough.
“Oh, I know exactly what you did.” Anger spikes through my chest, sharp and consuming. “You let them touch me.” My voice cracks. I swallow it down. “I couldn’t cover myself, I couldn’t fight back, and you just let them.”
Jace looks gutted, taking a step back, running both hands through his hair.
“No, I kept them from raping you.” His voice is shredded. “My dad wouldn’t have cared what they did. But I told his men he had strict instructions—you were off-limits. They could only touch. They couldn’t take you like the others.”
“Others?” My voice is a whisper, strangled with horror. “Who are you?”
I take a step back. His face breaks—pain, shame, and something broken flickering through—before that cold Ravencourt mask slides over everything again.
“That was my father,” Jace grinds out. “Not me. I only learned about it during my infiltration.” His jaw flexes. “I was trying to dismantle his empire from the inside. To make sure no one could replace him. Especially not Daniel. I needed to end everything so he could never come after you again.”
“I love you, Isobel,” he says, voice cracking. “Everything I did…I just wanted to protect you.”
I stare at him, numb. “You say you love me, but you have a funny way of showing it.”
The words should shock me. But I can’t. I turn to head downstairs, but pause.
