Raina’s POV
“I never agreed to protect you.”
The words left my mouth clean. Precise. Surgical.
No cushioning. No diplomacy. No room for misinterpretation.
If my world had already cracked open… then I had no interest in preserving anyone else’s comfort.
For a fraction of a second, Sophie’s expression faltered.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Like porcelain under pressure… one hairline fracture forming beneath the gloss.
“Miss West…” Her voice dipped, soft and tremulous, the kind of tone that always invited sympathy. “Do you… dislike me?”
Not hate.
She was careful with her wording.
Always was.
I didn’t even blink.
“Not particularly,” I replied, flipping through the file in my hand like she was nothing more than a misplaced document. “Is there anything medically relevant, or are
