I could feel it. The sharp pang of betrayal that ripped through me—Elias, my mentor, my father figure. How could he have done this? How could he have been a part of the lie, the deception that has followed me my entire life? My heart was raw, my emotions tangled in a vicious web of anger, pain, and disbelief.
But something more, something deeper, stirred within me.
Ryker was beside me, his presence grounding me as I grappled with the whirlwind of emotions threatening to tear me apart. The bond between us—a bond I once cursed and tried to ignore—was now the one thing keeping me tethered.
"Focus, Nina," he said softly, his voice rough with urgency but steady. "Don’t let the anger consume you. Not now."
I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palms. The pain of the betrayal was nothing
