"How... dare you..." Lokie's voice cracked.
A single tear traced a hot, stinging path down the corner of her eye, before she could stop it. She hated it immediately . She was supposed to be unbreakable.
She had swallowed worse pain than this without flinching: the ropes biting into her wrists in the frozen blind spot of Suzuki’s secret room, the cold promise of death in Raman’s eyes. Those had been sharp, clean agonies she could endure.
This was different.
It sat heavier in her chest. Embarrassment burned through her, anger twisted inside her, and something else lingered beneath it that she refused to acknowledge.
fury that twisted like a knife in her gut, and something heavier she couldn’t even name. Her throat tightened until breathing hurt."
“You should be happy,” Enzo said, hi
