Chapter 71

• “Ava,” Kade said, his voice barely a whisper as his hand gripped mine. “Stay close.”
• I could feel his fingers trembling, his usually calm demeanor now completely shattered. The air around us had shifted, a crackling tension that was too thick to ignore. The figure who had stepped out from the trees wasn’t just an intruder—he was someone with purpose, someone who had been waiting for this moment. I could see the smirk on his lips, his eyes cold and calculating.
• “You don’t belong here, Ava,” the man spoke, his voice rough but carrying an ominous undertone. “This world wasn’t meant for you. You’re in the way.”