Chapter 144. Family Breakdown

Xerina’s POV

The world spun, the floor beneath me cold and unforgiving. My heart pounded in my chest as I gasped for air, the edges of my vision blurred. I could barely make out Chrissy’s form, hovering protectively in front of me, her face a mask of worry.

But it wasn’t Zane. The figure standing over me wasn’t him.

I blinked, trying to clear the fog from my mind, and slowly, his face came into focus. His eyes, unlike Zane’s icy stare, were softer. There was no malice in them. Instead, they were full of something else. Something that felt… familiar, though I couldn’t place it.

He knelt down in front of me, his expression tense with concern.

“Xerina…” His voice was low, gentle, full of an emotion that twisted my insides.

I flinched, pulling back instinctively, my heart racing. Who was he?

Chrissy shot him a look, her voice tight with warning. “Luca, give her space. She’s—”

But he shook his head, ignoring her. His eyes stayed lock