Regent Valerius stood in the doorway, his eyes ice-cold as he took in the scene before him. Selene's hand was still tangled in my hair, her other raised to strike me again. I could feel my cheek throbbing from the first slap.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Valerius asked, his voice deceptively calm.
Selene dropped her grip on my hair immediately, smoothing down her suit as she straightened. "Just having a little chat with our guest."
Valerius stepped fully into the room, shutting the door behind him. "A chat that requires physical force against a pregnant woman?"
The fake concern in his voice made my skin crawl. This wasn't about my wellbeing—it was about control.
"She was being disrespectful," Selene said, chin lifting defiantly.
Valerius's gaze hardened. "You incompetent fool. Did I not make it clear that she's to remain unharmed? She is our ace in the hole."
"I barely touched her," Selene protested.
