The faint sound of running water drifted from the bathroom, where Evander was taking a shower. Delphinia stood near the large window, her arms wrapped around herself as she gazed outside. The city skyline stretched before her, lights twinkling against the dark sky, but her thoughts were elsewhere.
She could still feel the bite of their words, even hours later. Their casual cruelty, their assumptions, their condescending smiles. How easily they belittled her, how effortlessly they dismissed her as nothing more than a reckless girl who had thrown her life away. And before her? Before she stepped into this role, Evander had endured it alone.
A pang of guilt settled in her chest. He must have heard those whispers, those judgments. People must have sneered at him, questioned his decisions. She had always admired his strength, his ability to appear unfazed by the world's harsh words, but had it hurt him too? Had he stood in the same spot she did now, wondering if he was enough?
