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"Damn it, what is Taya doing with Anis?" Orig muttered under his breath, his fists clenched tightly as he watched the carriage vanish into the crowded street. His emotions swirled inside him, a fierce storm he struggled to control. A pang of worry gnawed at him—was Anis forcing Taya into something? Had she willingly entered that carriage, or was she trying to flee from some unseen threat?
"Calm down, Orig," he muttered, but the words felt empty, hollow.'This is Taya,' he reminded himself, his heart pounding as he recalled every moment they'd shared. *She loves me—blindly, recklessly… doesn't she?* But a new thought slipped in, unwelcome and poisonous: Could love alone be trusted?
A nearby servant, standing with noticeable unease, cleared his throat as he approached. His voice was barely a whisper as he reported, "Miss Meral is in critical condition, my lord."
