“Devandra… you look like a man who’s just lost his world.”

The soft voice came from behind the long sofa in Devandra’s private office.

Devandra looked up. Liora stood there, dressed in a burgundy gown that hugged her figure with elegant precision. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, her eyes glimmered with gentleness — yet beneath that softness, there was something else, something that made the air feel heavy.

“I’m just… tired,” Devandra replied curtly. He leaned back in his chair, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

Liora’s heels clicked softly on the marble floor as she approached. “Tired? Or hurt?”

She stopped behind his chair,...