Alara
Kaelen’s sharp eyes followed me as I moved around the living room, picking at the hem of my sleeve and avoiding his gaze. I could feel the weight of his suspicion pressing down on me, making my skin crawl. Ever since Lucas and I had talked about Vittorio, I hadn’t been able to relax. The constant fear gnawed at me, making my every movement stiff and my reactions too sharp. I knew Kaelen was noticing. He always did.
“Alara.” His voice was soft, but there was a hint of tension underneath. “What’s going on with you?”
I froze, forcing myself to take a breath. I couldn’t let him figure it out—not yet. I needed time to plan, time to lay low until I knew what Vittorio was going to do next. I couldn’t afford to break under the pressure.
Turning to face him, I plastered on a smile that fe
