"Céline, younger than the rest of the Circle, with the fragile, delicately pretty features of a porcelain doll, had been trailing their group like a lost puppy. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that she’d fallen hard for Stephen, but he was a lost cause, pledged to Amatis for life. She’d picked Lucian as her consolation prize, but it was just as obvious that Lucian had no romantic interest in anyone but Jocelyn Fairchild"
Something about it this being such a parallel cause both Stephen and Luke were Valentine's second in command, yet they made completely opposite choices when it came to love.
Stephen gave up the love of his life just to please Valentine. Luke never would, and never did and that's exactly what drove a wedge between Luke and Valentine, leaving an opening for Stephen to take his place as Valentine's second in command. But he only got there because he was willing to bury his own happiness for Valentine's approval
Everyone knew about Céline's crush and Luke's crush😭 my cuties had that in common
