Seraphina’s POV

I tried to catch my breath, my heart pounding in my chest. “I... I couldn’t face him, Alfred. Eric... he’s here. He’ll recognize me and ruin everything.”

Alfred’s expression softened slightly, but his voice remained firm. “You can’t just run away, Seraphina. You need to face this. You can't just back out, not now.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I shook my head. “I can’t. I’m not strong ...