Chapter 74
Varin's POV
Rivara’s footsteps echoed in the stone hallway like a heartbeat, each click of her boots against the cold, polished floor punctuating the tension that hung in the air. The sound was sharp, precise—like a warning, or perhaps a promise. Her pace was measured, deliberate, the rhythm of a woman who knew exactly what she was doing, exactly what she wanted. The muffled air around us seemed to thicken, as if the very walls were holding their breath, waiting for the inevitable eruption that was about to unfold.
I stood with my back to the room, my arms crossed tightly over my chest, the weight of my own thoughts pressing against my ribs. My gaze was fixed on nothing, my focus inward, steeling myself for what was coming. I didn’t need to look at her to know exactly what Ri
