SALVATION

Arya’s eyes were sharp as daggers as she turned to Ricardo, her disbelief morphing into a cold fury. "What do you mean Henry is your father?" she demanded, her voice barely above a whisper, yet filled with venom.

Ricardo met her gaze, his face devoid of emotion. “He’s my father. But it doesn’t change anything.”

Leonardo's fists clenched at his sides, the tension in the room thickening with each passing second. "You conveniently left out the part about 'my father is a priest' and then asked me to kill him?" His voice was low, simmering with barely restrained anger. "Do you realize what you could have started? A religious movement? A war?"

Ricardo’s jaw tightened. “I know,” he admitted, his voice steady, but there was a flicker of regret in his eyes.

That flicker wasn’t enough to stop Arya. She moved quickly, her hand connecting with Ricardo’s face in a stinging slap. The sound echoed in the room, freezing everyone in place. “How dare you set us up?” she hissed, her eyes blazi