Raya inhaled deeply, steadying herself, but even with all the preparation she had done in her mind, nothing could have fully braced her for this moment, standing face-to-face with Kaius, his piercing blue eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that stripped her down to the core.
She had anticipated this conversation, had mapped it out in her mind a thousand different ways, but reality was far more suffocating than she imagined. There was no running anymore. No more avoidance. This was it.
She squared her shoulders and cleared her throat, knowing that every word she spoke next could shape the course of their future.
“I believe this isn’t just about what I want,” she started, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. “This is also about what you want, and if our needs align
