Chapter 128: Dignity
Zane~
I stood near my father’s side, still wearing the face of Cole Lucky—cold, unreadable, distant. The mask I’d worn for years now. And yet, when Owen Blackthorn’s voice broke the silence again, I felt something ancient stir inside me. Red shifted, ears perked. The restless wolf was listening.
"If I may ask, Your Majesty," Owen said, bowing with an edge of ice in his voice, "why is Mr. Lucky here? And more importantly... why is he the one entrusted with a matter as sensitive as this?"
The gall.
I didn’t move, didn’t flinch. But I met Owen’s eyes. Calm. Silent. The kind of silence that unnerves men who crave control.
My father, however, just chuckled—a low, amused sound that sent a ripple through the gathered court.
"Because," he said, rising from his throne with the grace of a panther, "Mr. Lucky is no ordinary man. He’s incredible."
I shot him a sideways glance, confused. He’d never spoken of me like this—not in public, not even in private. Outside of Nora and Charlie, no one ever knew we had ties. For the sake of safety, we played our roles—distant, detached, strangers by design. And never had I been acknowledged for anything by him. Most days, his words to me barely stretched beyond orders. I understood all that, we couldn’t allow our enemies connect the dots between us. But today... he looked the Blackthorns dead in the eye, his presence sharp as steel and just as cold.
"He is my new royal adviser for a reason. A man with an impeccable record. Cole Lucky has handled situations that would crumble most men. His reputation alone has quelled uprisings, sealed treaties, and restored order in places chaos once ruled."
He turned to me—chin high, smug. Actually proud.
"Everything he touches turns to gold."