Claire's POV
"You don't need to worry about it," I said coldly, pulling my hand free from his grasp. My voice was steady, but inside, I was crumbling. "It doesn't matter anymore."
I turned on my heels, refusing to look back, though I could feel his piercing gaze following me. His eyes were filled with something I didn't want to acknowledge—something that made it harder for me to walk away. But I couldn't let him see how much his presence, his concern, stirred everything I had worked so hard to bury.
"You can't leave!" Evander's voice rang out behind me, firm and unyielding. "I am not letting you leave!"
I stopped in my tracks, my fists clenching as anger bubbled up inside me. I spun around to face him, my glare sharp enough to cut through steel. "And if I want to? What then, Evander? Would you force me to stay with you against my will?" I hissed through gritted teeth as my fury started rising.
