Aiden Knight's POV
The silence after Yolanda's departure feels heavy and suffocating. Clara still grips my arm, her fingers trembling against my sleeve. Her mother's words echo in the small space between us like poison slowly spreading through the air.
"She's not wrong about the dangers," Clara whispers, her voice barely audible. "The Qin family doesn't make idle threats. Neither do the other families who see me as either an asset or a liability."
I study her face, noting the fear that's replaced her earlier defiance. Yolanda Gable knew exactly which buttons to push, exactly how to make her daughter feel small and vulnerable.
"Your mother seems to think I'm incapable of protecting you."
