VALERIA’S POV
The cold of the dungeon seeped into my bones, but I stayed awake all night, my mind sharp and my resolve unshaken. I didn’t allow myself the luxury of fear. Fear wouldn’t help me now. If anything, it would only give Dimitri the satisfaction he so desperately craved.
When the heavy sound of footsteps echoed down the hall, signalling their arrival, I took a deep breath, bracing myself. I had expected warriors or maybe a guard to escort me to whatever torment they had planned, but when the door creaked open and Dimitri himself stepped in, accompanied by Magnar, I had to fight to keep my expression neutral.
His presence wasn’t a surprise, but the intensity of his gaze as he looked down at me made my stomach twist. Dimitri was a man who thrived on control, on fear, and
