#Chapter 162: Facing Judgement

“Don’t worry,” Mark told me. “I will not leave this room. Elva will not leave my sight.” I nodded. That did make me feel marginally better. We’d received word earlier in the day that Terry himself was coming to the palace to personally deliver the results of his event. Since then, we’d mostly barricaded ourselves inside of the bedroom. However, I was required to attend this meeting, which was to be treated as an official event, broadcasted live across the kingdom. I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Terry again, by any stretch. But at least, with Mark’s promise to protect Elva, I didn’t have to worry about her. I hugged Elva goodbye. “Good luck, Mommy!” she said brightly. Thank God I had protected her from the worst of the trauma I had experienced from Terry’s hands. I would rip the whole world apart before I ever let Terry enter within a hundred feet of my daughter. “Be good, Elva. Listen to Mark and the nanny.” “I will.” After one last squeeze, I released Elva and stood. Then