As Mark's brutal assault on Hobe had unfolded, causing the latter to bleed from minor injuries, Alina's assessment was clear.
She believed that, at least for the moment, Hobe's life wasn't in immediate jeopardy. Nevertheless, Alina couldn't ignore the growing threat to Hobe's well-being as Mark's fury showed no signs of subsiding.
Alina's hand, sheathed in the digital iron plates, remained firmly clamped around Mark's arm.
"Is he that precious to you?" Mark's eyes bore into Alina's, seeking an answer that went beyond words. He couldn't understand the depth of her commitment to Hobe, but he needed to. "Do you have a hobby of collecting Cyans around you?!"
His voice dripped with sarcasm and resentment, as if implying that Alina's protective nature toward Hobe was unreasonable or even absurd.
