Claude's brows furrowed, his gaze fixed on Mahira. The fear in her eyes was real—raw and trembling.
Whatever Morion had done, it had left a mark deep enough to shake her to the core.
"I'm not here to kill you," he said at last, his voice calm but firm. "I just want to know how you got involved with the group."
Mahira's eyes lit up with desperate hope. "Really? You'll let me go?"
"I didn't say that," Claude sighed, brushing off her assumption. "Just answer the question. I'm not here to make friends."
Mahira bit her lip, the weight of her situation sinking in. She knew she wouldn't leave this underground cell without giving them something in return.
"I... I needed money," she admitted. "I agreed to the job because it paid well."
"But I swear, I'm not after power or anything like that! They just told me the job was to kidnap the king's heir—nothing more, I swear—"
