Lunara's breath caught in her throat as the glint of metal flashed before her eyes. Instinct, or maybe luck kicked in. She twisted her body sharply to the side, the blade barely grazing past her arm as she stumbled back.
"Lunara!"
Before she could even register the voice, Eryx was there in front of her, shielding her with his entire body.
Valerie froze. Her hand, still gripping the knife, trembled. Her chest heaved as she looked at him then at both of them.
"You chose her?" she spat, eyes wild, disbelief crashing with rage. "Her? Why?"
Eryx said nothing, jaw tight, eyes locked on hers, scanning for any sudden movement.
"I did everything," Valerie continued, her voice cracking. "I never begged. I never cried in front of you. I played it calm. I focused on work. I gave you space, I proved my worth. I made sure I wasn't some desperate woman waiting on love like an idiot."
She took a step forward, the knife still in her hand, but her voice was growing thinner, more broken.
