“Thank you,” I answered, without warmth.
Silence lingered between us before he finally asked, Liora… are you upset with me?
The question came too late—like a messenger arriving after the family business had already been settled. A spark stirred within me—something close to anger, yet deeper, quieter. It was disappointment, enduring and cold. Had he truly failed to see my feelings, or had he never cared to look?
It no longer mattered.
I would not carry resentment any longer. My path would follow my own decisions, and my heart would walk its course without him.
In a tone softened by controlled authority, Darian reached out through our secure channel first. Liora, Selara struggles to manage her affairs alone. She has no family here. In this territory, I am her only ally.
His words cut sharper than he intended. He seemed to forget that, in truth, I too had only him ever since we swore our loyalty before the Don and the family council.
“I understand,” I replied quietly through the link. “She’s endured a great deal.”
Liora, what do you mean by that? Why do you sound so—
“I said I understand,” I repeated, my tone stripped of warmth, edged with steel. “Is that not sufficient?”