Estella’s POV
When we left the dungeon, we didn’t speak. Darius strode ahead, shoulders tense beneath his cloak, his steps soundless against the marble. I trailed a few paces behind, watching the torchlight glide over his silver hair and his hand ball into a fist like he was waging a battle inside. When I finally caught up, he didn’t even glance my way.
“So did you learn anything new?” I asked.
He didn’t answer. His gaze remained fixed on some distant point far beyond the stone walls surrounding us. I kept talking, more to fill the silence than anything else.
“It doesn’t make sense,” I murmured. “Why would my parents have another child with them only to abandon her? Who was she? Where did she go? What if she’s still alive and…”
I glanced at him, but he still stared forward like he di
