Ares’s POV

The echo of the door slamming behind her was louder than any gunshot.

For a long time, I just stood there — frozen, hollow, staring at the space where Alina had been. The scent of her still lingered in the room — faint traces of jasmine and smoke — a cruel reminder of what I’d just lost.

She was gone.

And this time, I wasn’t sure she’d ever come back.

My hands trembled as I pressed them to my face, the weight of the last few minutes crushing down on me. I could ...