Third Person POV
The courtyard had finally fallen silent.
The chaos from moments earlier lingered like smoke after a fire, hanging heavily in the air.
Guests stood frozen.
Whispers drifted through the crowd.
No one seemed willing to leave.
No one seemed willing to speak too loudly either.
Because everyone had just watched a woman stand inches away from death.
And somehow walk away calmer than everyone around her.
Raina slowly lowered her hand.
The trembling widow had already collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
The knife was gone.
The danger was over.
Yet the ache left behind felt far more difficult to erase.
Beside her, Xavier’s entire body remained rigid with fury.
The veins in his hands stood out sharply.
His eyes never left the woman.
Not because he wanted j
