Chapter 237. After Attack

Love’s POV

“Apphia,” she whispered.

Her voice was barely audible, like the sound of a breath caught between fear and hesitation. The name lingered in the air longer than it should have, settling somewhere deep in my chest. I straightened slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements that might startle her further, and extended my hand toward her in a gesture meant to be reassuring rather than commanding.

She looked at my hand as though it were a foreign object—something unfamiliar, possibly dangerous. After a tense second, she shook her head and pushed herself up on her own, movements stiff and hurried. Her fingers trembled as she reached for a pair of glasses and slid them onto her face with unnecessary haste, as if hiding behind them would make her less visible.

I let my hand fall back to my side, masking