Aiden Knight's POV
"Absolutely not." I keep my voice firm but gentle as Clara grips my arm. "You're not coming with me to face Qin."
Her eyes flash with determination. "Aiden, this is my fight too. They've been terrorizing my family for weeks."
"Which is exactly why you need to stay here where it's safe."
Before Clara can argue further, a sharp knock echoes through her bedroom door. We both freeze. The sound is too controlled, too deliberate to be from a panicked servant who discovered the bodies.
"Clara?" A man's voice calls from the hallway. Deep, authoritative, familiar. "I know you're in there. We need to talk."
Clara's face goes pale. "That's my father."
I move silently to the door, extending my spiritual senses. Only one person in the hallway. No immediate threat, but his qi signature reveals solid cultivation. Not a master, but far from helpless.
