52. (DEIRK POV)

(DEIRK POV)

"We've got this under control, thank you," I stated firmly, trying to keep the situation from escalating with Magness's involvement.

"Nonsense. I'm already here," Magness countered smoothly. I might as well lend a hand."

I scrutinized him carefully, always wary of his intentions. Freed from his direct influence, I observed him through a lens of wary independence, yet the scars of past manipulations lingered. My detachment from Magness was a bittersweet liberation, the freedom tainted by the deep-seated wounds of our dark history I was forced to often revisit.

Dane remained entangled in Magness's web, a connection I resented for keeping me tethered to a past I yearned to forget. My loyalty to Dane was unwavering, but it tethered me to the creature responsible for my deepest traumas.

Effortlessly, Magness dealt with a couple of the resisting wards, their feet barely touching the ground as he escorted them to the dining hall. With his unparalleled charm, Jax persuaded anoth