Chapter 82
Draven’s POV
The word hit me like a blade to the chest.
‘Dad.’
It wasn’t just a word—it was a weight, sinking deep into my bones, pressing against something I didn’t know existed. The moment stretched, unraveling into something I couldn’t grasp, couldn’t control.
It echoed in my head, louder than it should have been, drowning out the rustling trees, the distant voices in the courtyard, even the sharp intake of breath I hadn’t realized I had taken. The world around me faded, blurred at the edges, leaving only the two little figures before me.
I couldn’t move.
I didn’t move.
The two little girls clung to my coat, their small hands gripping the fabric as if they had every right to. Their eyes—so bright, so wide with innocence—looked up at me with something I hadn’t seen in
