Evander's POV
I had not expected so many things to have unfolded behind my back. It wasn't like I didn't know Claire had a sister— I did. But to me, Claire had always been the only woman in my eyes. No one else could ever compare, so there was no way I would have spared a glance at anyone else.
Standing here now, hearing her words and seeing how our misunderstandings were clearing up one by one, I felt a strange sense of relief. But that relief was mixed with pain— a deep, gnawing ache in my chest as the truth settled in.
How had things come to this? How had we let the lies and manipulations of others twist our bond into something so fragile and full of doubt? It wasn't just Claire who had suffered— I had been betrayed too. By my own people… By the people I trusted.
