Chapter 144

SERAPHINA Morning came too soon. I woke up in Kaelos's arms, feeling the comforting warmth of his body. For a moment—just a moment—I could pretend that everything was fine. That there was no conspiracy, no lies, no woman named Jessica trying to destroy my life. But reality hit me like a cold wave. Today, I had to face Jessica. “Are you awake?” Kaelos's hoarse voice broke the silence. “I am,” I replied softly, staring at the ceiling. “It's been too long, actually.” He kissed my shoulder. "You don't have to do this alone. I can—“ ”No,“ I cut him off gently. ”I have to do this. Face to face. Woman to woman.“ I turned to face him. ”Trust me.“ His amber eyes searched my face, looking for signs of doubt. ”I always trust you.“ ”Then let me do this my way." She sighed, then nodded. “All right. But I'll be nearby. If you need me—” “You'll know,” I finished her sentence with a faint smile. Two hours later, I sat in the backyard of our house—a place that was usually filled with tranquility, but t