Chapter 132:

Beast Revealed

Liora

I stepped confidently into the living room. The air felt unnaturally heavy, thick with a stillness that had nothing to do with the night.

Candles flickered nervously on tall, ornate stands, casting dramatic shadows that danced across the plush velvet furniture.

Kael sat perfectly still, his posture rigid and sharp, his dark eyes fixed straight ahead as though he were a statue carved from cold, unresponsive stone.

I smoothly adjusted the fabric of my dress ...