Agnia's heart slammed against her rib cage. Her face went completely pale, and cold sweat gathered across her skin. For a moment, even the wound in her shoulder felt distant.
Her lips parted for a moment, almost moving on their own. She wanted to confirm his identity. She wanted to ask if he was looking for Max. But she did not. She forced those words back down her throat and held them there, afraid that even one wrong reaction from her could bring disaster to him.
But that simple gesture was not missed by the masked stranger.
The motion was small, but to him, it was enough.
His head tilted slightly, the long golden smile on his mask staring down at her with that same lifeless curve.
"Choose. Child. Or the father. Which one lives? Which one dies? Your next words will determine their fate."
Agnia felt as if her soul had escaped from her body. The silence after those words was worse than the blade.
