Lorraine watched, silent, as her father tried to seize control of the moment. His arrogance clung to him like armor, as if words alone could free him.
"Whoever paid you will regret it. Once I walk free, there won't be a rock in this kingdom you could crawl under that I won't overturn," Hadrian said, his voice a mixture of scorn and certainty.
Lorraine tilted her head. That would only matter if she intended to let him go.
"You didn't even ask about your daughter," she said softly. It was a pointless question. Still, it slipped from her, raw and aching.
Hadrian scoffed. "Daughter?" His silence afterward cut sharper than any insult. Then, with a bitter curl of his lips, he muttered, "Maybe her curse is real. I was untouched all these years, and the one time I ride with her, I end up here."
