Before she could take another step, a group of people rushed forward to restrain her. A tall man, her husband, whose face was etched with barely controlled emotions, gently took her arm, pulling her back even as his own gaze remained fixed on Samiel. His jaw clenched, a storm of grief and anger swirling in his eyes, but his grip on his wife remained steady.
Beside them stood an older woman, the boy's maternal grandmother, her expression twisted in pain as she placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder, silently offering comfort but saying nothing. Her eyes, too, were locked on Samiel, her heart breaking at the sight of him under Lucian's control.
In front of the grieving family, two old men stood firm, their faces grave, eyes sharp with understanding and dread.
