|| ASHER's POV ||

As I stormed into Viktor's castle, my anger burning bright like a raging inferno, I could feel the weight of my fury pressing down upon me like a suffocating blanket. Every fiber of my being screamed for justice, for retribution against the man who had dared to attack me without provocation or warning.

"Viktor!" I bellowed, my voice echoing through the grand hall as I confronted him head-on. "We need to talk."

Viktor's expression remained stoic, his features carefully composed as he regarded me with a cool detachment that only served to stoke the flames of my anger even further.

"Asher," he said smoothly, his voice...