Victor's POV

The question wasn’t surprising, yet it still caught me off guard. I had anticipated this would arise sooner or later, but listening to it spoken made the situation clearer, making it more difficult to overlook. I set my cup down intentionally, locking her gaze with unwavering determination.

“You’ll remain here until we figure out who is responsible for all of this,” I stated, my tone steady yet not unkind. "I can't take the chance of you being out there by yourself." ...