I laughed.

It was a jagged, breathless sound. It hurt my bruised ribs so badly that dark spots burst at the edges of my vision, but I threw my head back and laughed anyway.

It echoed against the vaulted ceiling.

Daniel’s jaw twitched. “What’s so funny, Mara?”

“You rehearsed that speech,” I said, my voice carrying in the sudden quiet. “It was convincing. But you forgot the cameras.”

His gaze snapped up, following mine.