"Hello, Elise…"
Rayn said softly, his voice laced with guilt. He took a hesitant step forward, his expression faltering as if unsure how to approach her.
Rayn Adelphus.
Her hand tightened around the pendant, knuckles turning white. The world seemed to blur around her for a moment, a sudden, sharp anger rising in her chest.
She turned her head slowly toward the doorway, her heart racing. There, standing tall and imposing, was Rayn Adelphus. The man who was supposed to be her father. The man who had been missing for eighteen years.
He looked older than she expected, with streaks of silver running through his dark hair, his face lined with weariness. His eyes—those familiar, piercing eyes… met hers with a mix of longing and regret.
For a moment, neither of them spoke… The silence was heavy.
Elise's heart pounded in her chest. The pendant in her hand felt like it was burning into her skin.
