Chapter 224

• Gianna’s POV
• I slammed the door behind me and leaned against it, taking in deep, shaky breaths. My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t get enough air. The comversation at Alaric’s house pressed down on me, and tears blurred my vision as I finally let go of the composure I’d been clinging to all night.
• Emilia’s words and her thinly veiled disapproval played on a loop in my mind. The skepticism in her tone, the way she questioned everything without outright saying it. I’d felt every ounce of judgment in her eyes, and no matter how polite I tried to be, I could feel myself shrinking under her scrutiny.