Chapter 139

VALERIA’S POV "I think you don’t need me at all," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "After all, you've planned everything in advance. You can take everyone down on your own including the royals." I had to play it cool. I had to. I couldn't participate in this bloodbath. Not after everything I had seen, after everything I had learned. Dimitri smiled, slow and knowing, as if I were a child fumbling through a game I didn’t know the rules to. "Oh no, Valeria," he tsked, his voice dripping with amusement. "I kept you close for a special reason." A chill ran down my spine. He lifted his hand, pointing toward the throne that had been placed at the very top of the ceremonial stage. My gaze followed his finger, and my stomach twisted violently. Riven. She sat there in her regal attire, her dark eyes scanning the gathering crowd below. There was something almost… still about her, as if she sensed the danger lingering in the air. I turned back to Dimitri, frowning. "I don’t understand. That