Chapter 21

Selena’s POV

The air in Father’s office was so thick with incense it burned the back of my throat. I could smell his temper before he even spoke — sharp, bitter, and heavy, like iron before a storm. The silence between us was suffocating, and I could feel my own anger crackling beneath my skin.

“Father, you don’t mean it! You can’t be serious, are you?!” The words tore out of me before I could stop them. My voice echoed against the walls, trembling with disbelief and ...