Chapter fifty four
A lump formed in my throat as Damian placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. We stood in the echoing foyer, sunlight filtering through the high windows and dusting the air with motes. My father, his usually vibrant face etched with concern, gripped Damian's hand with a strength that spoke volumes.
"I promise, Ronald," Damian said, his voice a low rumble, "I will watch over Annie now more than ever."
The weight of his words settled on me like a heavy cloak. Today, we were returning to the palace after a whirlwind of revelations and darkness so deep it seemed to cling to my very being. The future, once a clear path, now stretched before me like a tangled forest, its secrets whispering in the wind.
A tremor ran through me, and Damian, with his uncanny ability to sense my every shift, turned to face me directly. His eyes, the color of a stormy sea, held a depth I had never seen before. "I will protect you, Annie," he vowed, his voice a fierce promise.