Chapter 77

Sophia

I don’t regret it—not for a second, I regret killing those rogues. The moment those rogues set their sights on Rose, my instincts took over, and there was no going back. I had to protect her.

She’s just two, far too young to understand why her mother had to become a monster to keep her safe. But still, seeing the fear in her wide eyes, directed at me, cuts deeper than any wound I’ve ever known.

My hands are still trembling as if they are still stained with the remnants of the rogue’s blood. To Rose, I’m no longer just her mother. I’m someone capable of violence, of taking a life right in front of her innocent eyes.

I swallow hard, pushing down the rising ache in my chest. She’s afraid of me. The thought lingers like poison in my mind. She had always come to me for comfort, to feel safe. But now, she seeks comfort in Mikhail’s arms.

I know it’s normal. She’s too young to grasp the reality of what just happened, to understand that I was protecting her. But that doesn’t make the s