Chapter 157

The Prey

She was beautiful.

Krystina Romanovski was just like her mother, Rara Romanovski. And I didn’t know what to do, except for fidgeting and sneaking glances at her.

Even the flowers seemed dull. Really, I was not exaggerating.

And somehow, I was sipping on the tea hoping she wouldn’t notice or I didn’t want to look like a creep.

Rara was speaking, mostly asking me about my childhood. But my attention was drawn elsewhere—to Krystina.

She sat quietly, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her gaze flitting between her mother and the tea in front of her. She was wearing a soft lavender dress with long sleeves and a high collar, modest yet elegant, the fabric brushing against her skin like a gentle whisper. Her dark hair was pinned back, but a few rebellious strands framed her delicate face.

Her features were soft, almost wraithlike, as if she belonged to a world untouched by the brutality of the one we inhabited. I just cou