14

14

Uncle Tom stumbled, trying to gather himself. "B-but I—"

The woman, now standing just a few feet away from Allvar, spoke again, her voice like ice. "Release him. Now."

Without hesitation, the chief barked, "Get those cuffs off him, immediately!"

Uncle Tom fumbled with the keys, his hands shaking so badly he could barely fit the key into the lock. The crowd watched in silence, everyone too stunned to speak. Even Serena's boyfriend, who had been smug and arrogant moments before, now looked like he was ready to melt into the floor.

As the cuffs clattered to the ground, Allvar flexed his wrists, wincing at the red marks left behind. He looked up at the woman, who nodded slightly in acknowledgment but didn’t say a word to him.

Serena, who had been watching wide-eyed from the sidelines, finally found her voice. "I... I didn’t mean for things to go this far," she stammered, her voice small and trembling.

The woman turned to her, her gaze chilling. "You didn’t stop it either," she said sim