Kiara stared at Callista in disbelief. She had not expected her mother to figure it out so quickly, but what surprised her even more was the desperation in Callista's eyes. However, she had no intention of letting that change anything between them.
Kiara glanced at the hands gripping her shoulders before looking straight into Callista's eyes. Her expression turned cold, and her voice lost what little warmth it had held.
"Yes, I did. Now, could you please move away? I'm uncomfortable."
Callista froze. For a moment, she seemed unable to process the answer, but she eventually released Kiara's shoulders and took a step back. Her lips trembled as she looked at her daughter, and a pained whisper escaped her.
"Oh, you poor soul…"
Kiara's eyes narrowed slightly. She could understand why Callista might feel sorry for her, but she had never asked for her pity, especially not after everything that had happened between them.
"It wasn't the first time I died," she added.
