His words faltered.
“…again.”
Again.
The single word sent a chill racing down my spine. My brows furrowed before I could stop them. “Again?”
He stilled. His hands twitched, clenching tighter, his jaw locked so hard a muscle jumped in his cheek. His eyes burned into me, but there was something behind them now—something raw and dangerous.
Something he didn’t want me to see.
But I saw it anyway.
Pain.
Deep, festering pain.
And then—he shut it down. Just like that. As if a door slammed shut inside him.
“We have a deal, Emilia,” he said, his voice rough, clipped, like every word cost him something. “I need a child.”
There was something in his tone—a desperation he didn’t quite hide fast enough.
It startled me.
I blinked, my lips parting, but before I could speak, he continued.
“I
