Chapter 226

Freya’s POV The drive home passed in a blur of theories and growing dread. By the time I pulled into our driveway, the afternoon sun was already beginning its descent. I found him in his study, hunched over reports at his desk. The moment I entered, his head snapped up, nostrils flaring slightly as he caught my scent. Something primal and possessive flashed in his eyes before he quickly masked it. "You're home early," he said, his tone carefully neutral. I closed the door behind me, leaning against it. "What's happening to you?" His expression didn't change, but I caught the subtle tensing of his shoulders. "What do you mean?" "Don't." I took a step forward. "Something's wrong. I can feel it." Silvano stood slowly, placing his palms flat on the desk. "You should be at work. The system launch—" "I postponed it." Another step closer. "The system detected an anomaly. A disturbance in the northern quadrant, centered right where you've been spending most of your time." A flash of alarm cros