GABRIELLA'S POV

The gravity of the situation enveloped the room, suffocating us with its weight. A tense silence settled, broken only by the ragged breaths and the shuffling of feet. I could feel my chest heaving, my anger mingling with fear, intertwining into a potent cocktail of emotions that threatened to consume me.

Nicklaus, his voice laced with icy sternness, demanded an explanation, his gaze piercing into Beta's troubled eyes. "Why did you wait? How could you keep something of such ...