Penny hadn't intended to eavesdrop on the couple's conversation. But the moment she saw Casian's deadpan expression as he walked in, her feet refused to move.
She could sense it—something was off. Deeply off. But it wasn't her place to intervene. So she turned to walk away.
Or at least, she tried.
Because the moment she heard what was said, something inside her snapped. Fury sharp, hot, and undeniable—rose in her chest like a storm breaking free. Without thinking, she stormed out of the mansion, determined to find the one man she believed had driven a wedge between Casian and Lyra.
Darius.
She found him in the training field. Alone.
His back was to her—broad, relaxed, at ease, as if the world weren't unraveling behind them. That image—so calm while chaos brewed—only stoked her fury further.
Without a second thought, she marched toward him—
—only to halt with a gasp as cold steel kissed her throat.
"Ah!"
