"Who did you say she is?" Prince Reuben asked, his voice low with incredulity, a faint furrow forming between his brows. His gaze narrowed slightly, as though questioning whether he had truly heard what he thought he had—or if his ears were playing tricks on him.
Percival stepped forward, his expression a strange fusion of pride and bittersweet sorrow. "Lara," he said, his voice taut with emotion. "The sister we lost two years ago. We found her."
The words landed like a thunderclap.
For a few minutes, silence hung in the air.
Then Percival felt his entire body freeze.
Alaric and Lara both turned to him in unison, eyes sharp as blades. The intensity of their twin glares sent a cold chill racing down Percival's spine. The fine hairs on his arms stood on end, and for the first time that evening, he began to second-guess his own words.