Chapter 186: Veil of Deception

Zendedari stood tall, his presence commanding, as he locked his dark, empty eyes onto the older man before him. The tension in the air was palpable, like the calm before a storm. His voice cut through the silence, sharp and cold. "Do you challenge me?" Caitlin gasped, unable to believe what was unfolding before her eyes. Her father, Randolf, and Zendedari—two men with vastly different kinds of power—were squaring off, and she was the reason. She pressed her hands to her temples, feeling the weight of it all crashing down on her. How had it come to this? How could she be torn between two people, two realities, and not know what was true anymore? *Yes, you do, little red hair,* Zendedari’s voice whispered in her mind, a smooth caress, yet firm like iron. *He is trying to bewitch you. He thought I was too busy with Barry. He thought he could lure you away, away from the safety of us.* His attempt to reassure her felt hollow as she fought to hold herself together. The last few days had