Chapter 149

VALERIA’S POV The battlefield was silent. Not because the war was over— But because they were waiting. Waiting for me to finish what Dimitri started. I stared down at him, breathing heavily, my heart hammering in my chest. Riven’s voice sliced through the silence, low and certain. “Don’t show any mercy this time, Valeria. Your friends are safe—he has nothing against you now.” And just like that— My hesitation disappeared. The weight I had been carrying, the fear, the second-guessing—it all vanished. I turned my head slightly, catching sight of Magnar. He stood there, his arms tense at his sides, his jaw locked. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes… They were conflicted. He may have accepted this fate, may have severed the final tie with the man who raised him, but I knew—watching this wouldn’t be easy for him. I exhaled slowly and met his gaze. “You should look away,” I told him. “This is going to be painful for you to watch.” But he didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Didn’t turn away.