Ruby’s POV
Manson hadn’t spoken a word since we left the border.
He sat stiffly in the saddle, his hands gripping the reins so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His golden eyes were unreadable, but the rigid tension in his body told me everything.
Whoever was playing this game with him had just struck a nerve. A deep, dangerous one.
I watched him from the corner of my eye, unsure of what to say.
What could I say?
"Are you okay?" I finally asked, breaking the silence.
Manson scoffed, shaking his head. "No. But I don’t have the luxury of falling apart, do I?"
The bitterness in his tone caught me off guard. He wasn’t just angry, he was… hurt.
I hesitated. "Whoever this is, they're trying to rattle you. To make you doubt yourself."
"They won’t succeed," Manson said coldly. "But
