Dahlia's POV
The waitress collapsed to her knees in front of Soren, tears streaming down her swollen face like a broken dam.
Soren stood perfectly still, his posture relaxed yet dangerous. When he spoke, his voice carried the kind of quiet menace that made grown men tremble. "Tell me who ordered you to poison her."
The color drained from the waitress's face until she looked ghostly pale. Her head shook frantically from side to side. "I swear I don't know anything."
I studied her carefully. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, and while her words claimed innocence, I caught the unmistakable flash of terror in her eyes the moment Madge had entered the room.
"You expect us to believe that?" Madge's voice cut through the air like a blade, her glare sharp enough to draw blood.
"Do you have any idea who these people are? Every single person in this room is under Soren's protection."
