Julian's entire body went cold. For one horrible second, he could not move. Because all he could think was. She heard it. His chest tightened painfully. He had promised to protect her. Promised nobody would hurt her tonight.
And yet here she was standing in the doorway while his family ripped apart the woman he loved most. Julian suddenly felt like a complete failure. His fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms.
He should have stopped them sooner. Should have destroyed this conversation before it ever reached her ears. Should have ripped the cruelty out of every single one of them before Amara had to hear even one word.
Madam Vale looked between them once before speaking quietly. "Take Amara home." Her tone left no room for argument. "Let me handle this."
Julian could barely breathe. His eyes remained locked on Amara's face. She looked calm at first glance. But he knew her too well. He saw the hurt hiding underneath. The humiliation. The heartbreak.
