Chapter 105: ​A Forced Apology

"Ah," Mikhail said softly, uncrossing his legs. "You two are finally here."

Nikolai ignored his brother completely, walking farther into the lounge with the same cold expression he had worn since dragging Starlight out of Eclipse House before dropping heavily onto the adjacent leather chair.

Starlight paused, her eyes moving cautiously over the blood-red decor and the sprawling layout of the private space. She still had no clear idea of what she was supposed to be doing here. Was this where the so-called corrective conduct session was going to be held?

Mikhail picked up the remote from the sofa and lowered the volume before looking at Starlight again. "You look like you barely survived the ride over here. I take it Nikolai wasn’t the most charming escort?" There was a faint amusement in his voice that made Starlight narrow her eyes.

"Believe me, your brother’s character is nothing to write home about," she blurted out before she could filter the hot anger still racing through her veins. "He should be the one taking this corrective whatever program, not me."

A low, lethal growl vibrated in the back of Nikolai’s throat as his fingers dug into the leather armrest.

Mikhail merely chuckled, holding up a passive hand toward his twin. "Calm down, Nikolai."

"I will handle her later," Nikolai muttered through gritted teeth, his icy blue eyes fixed on Starlight with unmitigated promise.

Starlight rolled her eyes with zero hesitation. "As if you could do anything other than bruise my jaw." The casual comment hung in the quiet, climate-controlled air of the lounge.

Mikhail paused, his lighthearted demeanor vanishing as he turned his head slowly toward his brother. "Did you lay a hand on her?"

Nikolai shifted slightly under his twin’s sudden, direct gaze, his jaw tightening. "It was nothing. She just doesn’t know how to rein in her mouth."

"That doesn’t mean you have to put your hands on her," Mikhail replied, his silver-gray eyes cooling into slate. "What did I tell you about touching a woman in anger?"

Nikolai dropped his gaze, his chest expanding with a sharp, forced breath. "It won’t happen again. I apologize."

"Apologize to her, not me," Mikhail said, his voice firm.

Nikolai’s jaw clenched as he struggled to bring himself to look directly at Starlight, his gaze fixed stubbornly on the floor. "I’m sorry for laying my hands on you out of anger," he forced out through clenched teeth, the words sounding more like a punishment than a genuine admission.

Starlight’s eyes shot up in surprise. He actually apologized. The abrupt, hundred-and-eighty-degree change in Nikolai’s demeanor left her almost speechless. She could hardly process the sight, let alone the fact that the very same prince who had slammed her against a marble wall minutes ago was now sitting there, looking for all the world like a scolded pup accepting a reprimand and even apologizing to her.

Was he actually afraid of his brother?

A quiet, wicked grin tugged at the corner of Starlight’s mind. It seemed her opportunity for payback might arrive much faster than she had anticipated. Quickly wiping the satisfaction from her features, she replaced it with a look of quiet, delicate hurt, all of this happening within seconds. "This isn’t even the first time he’s laid a hand on me," she added, her tone dipping into something soft and fragile. "Back in the headmistress’s office, he nearly ripped my jaw off. I can still feel the pain right here." She brought a hand up to lightly touch the side of her face, her eyes dimming as if she were a moment away from tears just from the memory of it.

Nikolai snapped his head toward her in absolute shock, his mouth opening slightly before his eyebrows slammed together. "Hey! What the fuck are you playing at right now?"

"Is what she said true?" Mikhail asked, his voice dead calm as he kept his eyes on Nikolai.

"Mikhail, calm down, okay?" Nikolai said quickly, gesturing toward her with a frustrated flick of his wrist. "Look at her! She is blatantly faking it."

"That is not what I asked, Niko" Mikhail said, the silence in his tone far more dangerous than Nikolai’s shouting. "I asked if you really put your hands on her jaw before today."

Nikolai exhaled through his nose, his shoulders stiffening. "I was just trying to remind her of her place. Nothing out of line."

"For goddess’ sake, Nikolai, what’s wrong with you?" Mikhail snapped, his voice flat, absolute, and utterly devoid of warmth. "How many times do I have to tell you not to lay your hands on a woman in anger, especially when you know better? And besides, we are here to correct her conduct, yet here you are acting like some hot-headed brute. Are you even sure you’re qualified to be one of the supervisors in this session?"

Nikolai stared at his brother, his expression hardening as he wondered if Mikhail was actually planning to kick him out of the very program that had been his own idea. He glared daggers at Starlight, his knuckles turning white where they gripped the armchair.

Starlight caught his eye and let a tiny, triumphant smirk slip past her mask.

"See, Mikhail!" Nikolai’s eyes flared with murderous intent, his jaw tightening as he pointed accusingly at her. "She’s faking it! I can’t believe you’re letting her run with this!"

Starlight instantly smoothed her face back into a wounded, solemn expression, looking down at the carpet as if overwhelmed. Mikhail let out a soft sigh, turning back to face her. "Take a seat, Miss Dawson. If you’re done having your fun."

’Oops.’ Starlight’s posture stiffened slightly. So he had known she was playing it up the entire time, yet he had still used it to put his brother in his place. Still, a quiet satisfaction settled in her chest. Watching Prince Nikolai apologize through clenched teeth and get dragged down a notch by his own twin was a small victory. Even though she hadn’t gotten nearly as much payback as she’d wanted, it would do just fine for now.