The tension in the air was suffocating. Klaus stood in the doorway, his tall, imposing frame silhouetted by the moonlight. His piercing gaze darted between Ethan, Aria, and Liam, lingering on each of them as if reading their every thought.
“Klaus,” Ethan growled, stepping forward, his fists clenched at his sides. “You’ve made a mistake coming here.”
Klaus chuckled, the sound low and mocking. “Oh, Ethan,” he said smoothly, his voice dripping with condescension. “You’re always so quick to assume I’m the one making mistakes.”
Liam moved instinctively to Aria’s side, his posture protective. The bond between them flared in the air like static electricity, though Klaus seemed unfazed.
“I didn’t come here to fight,” Klaus continued, raising his hands in a mock gesture of peace. “At least, not
