Chapter 43: The Truth We Couldn't Hide
Kael's POV
By the time I reached the door, the pain had already settled deep into my bones.
Not the kind that makes you collapse. The kind that stays quiet and waits, like it knows you won't let yourself fall yet. I stood there for a second, hand on the handle, breathing slowly, forcing my body to stay steady.
I had promised her I would come back.
So I did.
The door opened quietly. The room was dim, the only light coming from the small lamp near the bed. For a moment, I thought she had finally fallen asleep.
But she hadn't.
Liora was sitting upright, her back against the headboard, hands resting on her lap like she had been waiting for hours. The moment she saw me, her eyes widened, not in shock this time, but in relief so strong it almost hurt to look at.
"You came back," she said softly.
"I told you I would," I replied, closing the door behind me.
