Chapter 398: The Distance Between Us

Classic Blackwood

I found Amal in the private wing, seated by the grand windows overlooking the gardens. The moonlight poured in, casting a soft glow on her face. She didn't turn when I entered.

She knew I was here.

She had been waiting.

I exhaled, my chest heavy. "Amal."

Slowly, she turned to face me, her expression unreadable. "So, was I truly arrested, or was I just a pawn in your father's game?"

The accusation was soft, but it cut deep.

I walked closer, but there was an invisible wall between us now. One that hadn't been there before. "It was never real," I admitted. "It was a test. A cruel one."

She nodded, looking away. "And you fell for it."

That stung. Not because she was wrong, but because I had felt the consequences of my actions from the moment the guards touched my wrists.

I reached for her hand, but she didn't take mine. "I had no choice."

She let out a small, humorless laugh. "There's always a choice, Classic. You chose to react. And now? Your father has exactly what he wanted—proof that he can control you."

My jaw tightened. "That's not true."

She finally met my gaze, and for the first time, I saw it—the doubt in her eyes.

Not in herself.

In me.

I had sworn to protect her. Sworn to stand by her no matter what.

But when it mattered most, I had let someone else dictate the game.

"I won't let this happen again," I promised, my voice steady.

Amal studied me for a long moment. "Then prove it."

And just like that, she walked past me, leaving me standing there in the cold, empty silence.