Vladimir's shoulders slumped under the crushing weight of all his regrets. His eyes were red and swollen from crying, and every single word that left his mouth sounded heavier and more painful than the last.
"What Olivia did…" His voice cracked badly. "It destroyed me."
He covered his face with one hand for a moment before forcing himself to keep going. "For years, I convinced myself that Oriana's memory loss was the price the Moon Goddess demanded for bringing you into the world instead of her life." His gaze slowly found Voren. "I told myself losing her memories was better than losing her life."
Another tear slipped down his face. "I clung to that belief because it hurt less. I never imagined that she had been dead all along."
Silence swallowed the entire deck.
Vladimir's eyes filled with fresh tears. "She gave everything for our son." His fists trembled at his sides. "And instead of honoring that sacrifice, we lived our lives as though she had never existed."
