CANDICE.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the gate feed.
The silver-haired man stood just outside the barrier, completely still, hands clasped behind his back like he had all the time in the world. Aldric. My father. A stranger I had spent my whole life not knowing.
Claude stood a few feet away, phone still in his hand, waiting for me to speak. Maya sat across the table, her eyes fixed on my face, watching every tiny shift in my expression like she was savoring it.
The door opened.
Killian stepped in, breathing harder than usual, like he’d rushed over the moment he saw the feed. His eyes went straight to the screen, then to me.
“You saw it too,” I said, my voice barely holding steady.
He nodded, jaw clenched. “He’s asking to speak with his daughter.”
The words landed heavy in the
