The words on my phone still haunted me, lingering like a storm cloud that wouldn’t dissipate. I’m coming for everything you’ve built. This isn’t over, Leila. Not by a long shot.
I stared at the message, the weight of it pressing against my chest, suffocating me. I had been prepared for the worstexpected it even. But something about the finality in those words, the cold certainty, unsettled me in a way nothing else had.
I felt Alexander’s presence beside me like a steady anchor, his hand warm in mine, his touch grounding me in the chaos that threatened to take over. The noise of the world outside seemed distant, but the moment we shared was oursreal, tangible. I could feel the tension in his muscles, the way his grip tightened ever so slightly as he read the message over my shoulder.
“What now?” I asked the question, escaping my lips before I could stop it. It wasn’t just about Robert, though that was certainly part of it. It was the weight of everything we had fought the empire, our l
