He turned away and left, his footsteps echoing until they vanished down the stone hall. One by one, the others who had lingered followed suit, each pair of eyes brushing over Kaya with a mixture of disdain, curiosity, and thinly veiled hostility. She stood there until the chamber was empty, her gaze locked on the place they had been, her chest tight.
That man's words still clung to her like a stubborn shadow. He knew. He was certain. That Veer… loved her like crazy.
Love.
The word burned in her chest, foreign and fragile. She could understand fear, anger, survival—those were languages she'd lived with her whole life. But love? She never held it, never trusted it, never believed it could exist for her. And yet, in this world, she seemed to be colliding with it again and again.
Exhaling sharply, Kaya turned away and walked toward the room Veer's brother had pointed out. Her steps were steady, calm, but inside, her thoughts churned like a restless tide.
