The moment Valeria saw Dominic, her pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
Her gaze was completely devoid of emotion, looking at him with an indifference colder than one might reserve for a stranger. After a fleeting glance, she looked away, treating him like nothing more than an insignificant pebble by the roadside.
She dismounted swiftly and gracefully, patting Windchaser's neck. Handing the reins to a stable hand who came running over, she murmured a few instructions. Then, she turned and headed in the opposite direction of the touring group, ready to leave.
"Valeria!" Dominic could no longer hold back. The name slipped out, not loud, but carrying an urgency and a tremor he didn't even notice himself.
The visiting officials and base personnel froze, their gazes darting between Domi
