Dedication

To my incredible readers,

Thank you for believing in this story when I wasn't sure I did. Your comments, your encouragement, and your excitement carried me through every difficult chapter and late-night rewrite. You made me feel like Selene's story mattered, and that meant everything.

A special thank you to Rujuta Craig, who gave this book its perfect title. You captured the heart of the story in just four words, and I'm forever grateful.

I love you all so much. This book exists because of you.

With all my heart,
Delphine

<_>

Seventy-nine days since the Capitol burned.

Selene had been counting.

Seventy-nine days since they dragged the president out, since Washington's power brokers locked themselves behind closed doors and carved up what was left. She wasn't invited to that table anymore.

Not until she behaved.

Now she lived small. No staff, no security detail, no reporters trailing her to coffee shops. They watched her, of course—phone calls monitored, movements tracked—but they let her walk around like a regular person. Like she was harmless.

She stayed because leaving would look like surrender. And she'd never been good at that.

The newspapers had moved on. The men running things now had bigger problems than one disgraced politician. But Selene knew something they didn't: Damian would need her again. Maybe not today, maybe not next month, but eventually.

Politicians always came back to what they knew. And he knew her.

When that day came, she'd be ready. She'd been preparing for it since the moment they thought they'd beaten her down.

Because Selene Delaire had never been anyone's victim.

Not even her own.