Rowan stroked her hair, pacifying her.
"I'm just a disgraced orphan who is looking for justice for my family," Delaney sobbed into his shirt. Her words were muffled by the fabric, but he heard every single one of them.
The pain in her voice physically hurt his heart.
"Why does the world have to be so cruel to me?" Delaney wept, her tears soaking his shirt. "I did nothing wrong. I never wronged anyone. So why do I have to suffer so much like this?"
It was the tragic, unfair question that she had carried in her soul for years.
Rowan tightened his arms around her. He rested his cheek against the top of her head. He hated the world for being so cruel to her. He hated Lord Hawksley and the uncle who had used her as a trade.
Rowan comforted her. His voice was a deep, soothing vibration against her ear.
"It's okay," Rowan murmured softly. "You are safe now, Del. It is okay."
He continued to stroke her hair, his touch incredibly gentle.
