chapter 122

Lidia’s POV

The evening air felt different tonight, charged with a kind of tension I couldn’t quite pinpoint. As Ethan and I strolled back to my hotel, a sense of unease gnawed at my senses. Ethan walked beside me. The Beta’s aura was a mix of relaxed confidence and alertness, which was naturally comforting. I laughed at one of his jokes, the sound light and airy, masking the heaviness of my thoughts.

“Thanks for dinner, Ethan. It was the distraction I needed,” I said, genuinely smiling at him.

“Anything for you, Lidia,” he said, a smirk lifting the corner of his lips. “You deserve to unwind.”

The conversation flowed easily between us until something caught my eye at the edge of the old, rundown hotel we were passing. A figure slipped out of the shadows, furtively glancing around to ensure they weren’t seen. My breath hitched as recognition hit me. The face was so familiar and yet so out of place.

“Is that Cassandra?” I asked, stopping dead in my tracks as I pointed towards the