Iyana's breath hitched in her throat, like someone had knocked the wind out of her. "No… no, he is not." Her words trembled, the denial gripping her tighter than the truth.
Leila's eyes softened. "I am sorry, Iya, but he is."
Iyana's head shook so violently. It was like she could dislodge the thought if she tried hard enough. "No, he is not a villain. He is not a bad person. Sure, empathy might not be his strong suit, but he cares—a lot—about his people. And if I am the protagonist, like you keep saying… even so, Vyan would never hurt me."
Leila arched a brow, her voice dipping into something almost teasing. "Oh, sweet, naïve girl. People like him? They hurt the ones they love the most. Whether they mean to or not. And in Vyan's case? Oh, he meant every second of it."
Iyana let out a frustrated huff. "Okay, okay. I get it, you are not a fan of Vyan. No need to keep slanderin—"
