Chapter 171

Celine

I kept my hands relaxed at my sides, my gaze never leaving his. “Then let’s start,” I said, voice steady. “I want to understand. Not to challenge, not to fight—but to understand.”

He studied me, silver eyes narrowing. For a

heartbeat, I thought he might turn and vanish into the woods, letting the encounter dissolve into the shadows. But he didn’t. He stayed, shifting his weight slightly, al