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The cost

Penulis: Author Calypso
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-06-17 22:25:41

ALTHEA

The moment the guard speaks, my whole body tenses.

The King.

Injured.

Critical condition.

The words spin around in my head, trying to land, trying to make sense. I’m still reeling from Asher’s kiss, his touch, his voice, the way he said my pretty Gray like it meant something. Like I meant something. And now… this.

“I—what?” I manage to say, blinking.

Asher moves before I can gather myself. “Is the coast clear now?” he demands, his voice sharp.

The guard nods quickly. “Yes, sir. The revolutionaries fled after the King was hit. The grounds are secure. We’ve locked down all access points.”

Asher mutters a curse and drags a rough hand through his hair. It’s not the graceful sweep he usually does when he’s thinking. This is frustrated. Panicked. Almost violent. His fingers curl at the back of his neck, and then he grabs his shirt from where he tossed it aside earlier.

He doesn’t look at me, not right away. But I see it. The tight set of his jaw. The way his chest rises just a little
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