|| Alaric’s POV ||

The room was dimly lit, the flickering glow of the television casting long shadows across the walls. I checked my watch for what felt like the hundredth time, the seconds ticking by with agonizing slowness. My father sat across from me, his face twisted in a scowl as he took another sip from his glass. The amber liquid swirled as he raised it to his lips, his movements sharp and deliberate. The news played on a loop in the background, Kael’s smug face plastered ...