Chapter 70

Chapter 70

The tension in the room was unbearable. The silence that followed Tanin's departure pressed down like an invisible weight, suffocating everything in its path.

Dowager Amelia finally broke it.

Her voice was dangerously calm. "Damian," she said, staring at him with eyes that had lost all warmth. "Is it true?"

Damian clenched his jaw. He knew this was coming.

"Yes," he admitted. "I stayed with Kitana."

A sharp slap echoed through the hall as Dowager Amelia's hand met his cheek.

Lyra and Antara gasped.

Leila's eyes widened.

Damian didn't move.

The sting on his cheek was nothing compared to the agony in his chest.

"You betrayed Tanin," Amelia hissed. "For Kitana?"

Damian swallowed hard. "I swear on my life, I never touched her."