Chapter 40: A Shattered Illusion

Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.

Seraphina felt the world closing in, her heart hammering against her ribs. She looked at Adrian, hoping—desperately—that he would refute Laurent's words.

But Adrian said nothing.

Not a denial. Not a protest. Nothing.

Her breath turned shallow. "Tell me he's lying."

Adrian's gaze remained steady, unreadable, but his silence spoke volumes.

Seraphina felt something inside her splinter.

"You knew," she whispered, stepping back as though putting space between them would erase the suffocating weight pressing down on her chest. "You knew all this time, and you never told me."

Adrian's jaw tightened, his hands clenching at his sides. "It's not what you think."

"Then what is it?" she snapped, her voice sharp with betrayal. "Because it sounds as if I've been sleeping next to the man responsible for my father's ruin!"

A muscle ticked in Adrian's jaw. "Seraphina—"

"No!" The anguish in her voice startled even herself. "I trusted you!"

Adrian's eyes darkened. "Did you?"

She stilled, her heart lurching.

"Because from the moment we married, you've done nothing but push me away." His voice was dangerously quiet, controlled—but beneath it lay a rawness that sent a shiver through her. "Even now, you'd rather believe the words of a stranger than hear the truth from me."

Seraphina clenched her fists. "How can I believe you when you won't even deny it?"

Adrian exhaled harshly and turned away for a moment, as if battling something within himself. When he faced her again, his gaze was cold steel.

"Your father was no innocent man, Seraphina."

Her stomach dropped.

"Laurent tells you what suits his version of events, but the truth is far more complicated. Your father was involved in matters that put this entire kingdom at risk. He wasn't merely framed—he played a dangerous game, and he lost."

Seraphina shook her head, the weight of his words crushing. "No. My father was loyal to the crown."

Adrian's eyes darkened. "Loyalty and treason are sometimes two sides of the same coin."

She took another step back, the distance between them now more than just physical.

She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.

"Then tell me," she whispered, her voice trembling. "What was your role in it?"

Adrian was silent for a long moment. Then, finally, he said, "I was the one who uncovered the evidence against him."

The words shattered through her like a blade.

Seraphina stumbled back, shaking her head.

"No."

Adrian took a step forward. "Seraphina—"

"Don't," she choked out, her throat tight with emotion. "Don't come near me."

Adrian's expression darkened, but he obeyed.

Laurent, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "You see now, don't you?" His voice was calm, as if he had expected this outcome. "You married the man who ensured your father's downfall."

Seraphina turned on him sharply, her emotions raw. "And what do you gain from telling me this?"

Laurent didn't flinch. "The truth."

She let out a bitter laugh. "The truth? Or your truth?"

Laurent hesitated, and in that hesitation, she saw what Adrian meant.

There was more to the story.

But right now, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear it.

Her gaze flicked back to Adrian, her heart aching. "I don't even know who you are anymore."

Adrian's face was unreadable, but for the first time, she saw something flicker in his eyes. Something that looked dangerously close to regret.

But regret wasn't enough.

Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away.

Adrian didn't stop her.

And that hurt most of all.