With a soft exhale, Asher finally spoke, his voice steady but heavy with the weight of the truth, "The answer isn't simple. But I…I was once the Golden Prince."
The room seemed to hold its breath as Rowena's shoulders tensed as she slowly stood up, the tension thick enough to suffocate any words that dared to break the silence.
Asher hated the unease coursing through him, the knot in his stomach growing tighter with each passing second.
He opened his mouth, his voice strained, "I know it doesn't make sense and that you might be misunderstanding some things. But let me expl—"
Before he could finish, Rowena's figure blurred in a sudden movement, faster than he anticipated. She lunged at him with all the fury of a woman betrayed, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him with terrifying force.
Asher's back slammed against the stone wall with a sickening crack as the walls shuddered under the impact.