“Maybe she meant something to you.”
I stepped forward fully now, closing the remaining distance.
“The only thing she ever meant was politics,” I said. “And I do not mix politics with my heart.”
I brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“You frown when you’re hurt,” I murmured. “Not when you’re angry.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“I noticed.”
And that was the difference.c
I didn’t just calm her.
I saw her.
Elara let out a slow breath and rested her forehead lightly against my chest.
“I don’t like feeling insecure,” she admitted.
“You don’t look insecure,” I replied quietly. “You look like someone who refuses to be disrespected.”
Her fingers gripped my shirt gently.
“If she disrespects you again,” I added, my voice turning colder now, “I will handle it.”
She pulled back sl
