Raisel - POV

I didn’t know how to respond to his confession. It wasn’t like the first time he opened up to me, raw and vulnerable. This time, I felt distant.

“That doesn’t give you the right to manipulate things, Soren,” I snapped, my voice cutting through the tense air like a blade. He sighed, but his calmness only made my anger burn hotter.

“I’m not the gentleman you think I am,” he said, his tone devoid of remorse. “You should’ve figured it out by now—I’ll go ...