Chapter 48
"She deserved better," Darius muttered, his boots echoing in the stone corridor. "You both did."
The torchlight flickered against the walls as he passed, throwing long shadows that danced like ghosts of judgment. He didn't look at the guards stationed outside Valerie's chamber. He didn't need to. They opened the door without a word.
He stepped inside quietly.
"You deserved a brother who believed in you," he continued under his breath, as though Valerie might somehow hear his shame before he even reached her bedside. "Not one who let snakes whisper in his ear."
The door shut behind him with a hollow click.
He sank into the chair beside her and exhaled slowly, resting his elbows on his knees.
"I'm a coward, Val," he said at last, voice low. "And I think… I always have been."
