Zara stared intently at Valeria, her eyes narrowed. "Is that true, Valeria?" she asked, her voice calm but with an underlying tone of challenge. "Do you have a special interest in Elio?"
Valeria, never one to back down, lifted her chin confidently. "And what if I do?" she responded, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "Elio is... interesting. And I'm not the only one who's noticed."
Brok and Micah exchanged uncomfortable glances, clearly out of their element in this conversation.
"Uh, girls," Brok tried, his voice uncertain, "maybe we should focus on expanding the tunnel..."
But Zara wasn't willing to let the subject drop. "It's not going to be that easy, Valeria," she said, crossing her arms. "I'll make sure Elio only pays attention to who truly deserves it."
Valeria arched an eyebrow, amused. "Oh? And who decides that? You?"
"If necessary, yes," Zara responded, her tone defiant.