Chapter 680: Fractures of Loyalty
"I remember seeing her by the window," Ronan said. "More times than I can count. Just waiting for you to come home. And Mum was busy too. She worked with Orion's mother, you know. But she always came home. Always made time for us."
He shook his head, his voice tightening as the memory settled deeper.
"Sometimes when you came home after her waiting for hours… you were too tired. You always forgot the promise. And she never said anything about it."
Silence filled the room again.
"There were birthdays you missed," Ronan added. "One of them… Orion had to remind you it was mine."
Daniel closed his eyes briefly.
Ronan let out a quiet breath.
"The truth is, you could have been better," he said. "You could have been the man you became after the Enclave attack. The one who stepped in for me… and for Orion… and even for Lysander and Brynhild."
He set the barrel he had been holding down and turned fully to face his father.
