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Chapter 23

Auteur: Night Raven
last update Dernière mise à jour: 2025-03-31 08:30:43

Third POV

Cassiel leaned back slightly, his steel-gray eyes locked onto Julian’s. He didn’t speak right away. Instead, he let the weight of Julian’s demand settle between them like an unspoken challenge.

Tell me everything.

Julian’s grip on the sheets was tight, his knuckles white. He was still weak, his body recovering from the poison, but his mind was sharp—too sharp.

Cassiel knew he wouldn’t let this go.

A slow exhale.

“Valerian Cross,” Cassiel finally said, his voice low, deliberate. “You know the name. Tell me why.”

Julian’s jaw tensed. “No. You first.”

Cassiel’s lips curved, but the smile was anything but amused. “You’re in no position to make demands, Julian.”

Julian didn’t flinch. “I was nearly murdered in this hospital bed. I think I deserve to know why.”

Cassiel studied him. Then, with an exasperated sigh, he sat back down beside the bed.

“Valerian isn’t just an enemy,” Cassiel said. “He’s a problem I thought I solved years ago.” His fingers tapped against his thigh. “I was
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