Charles’s expression softened for a brief moment, a flicker of sympathy passing through his eyes before he steeled himself again. “I know,” he said quietly, his tone softening. “But I’m telling you—this is bigger than you, Arisha. Bigger than her.” He took a breath, and his grip remained unyielding. “If you go back there, you’ll get caught up in a war you can’t win. Let me handle this.”
Arisha’s shoulders slumped, and she looked down, her body shaking with silent sobs. She felt trapped, torn between her instincts as a mother and the fear Charles had instilled in her. “I just want my daughter safe,” she whispered.
Charles’s eyes softened, and he released her arm but kept his gaze firm. “I know. And I’ll make sure she is. But right now, you need to trust me.”
She hesitated, her body still
