RILEY’S POV
The weight of Kael’s words settled over me like a crushing force.
I stared at him, my heart pounding against my ribs. “What did you just say?”
Kael ignored my question as he walked further into my living room, his sharp eyes scanning the space until they landed on something. I followed his gaze, my breath catching when I realized what he was looking at.
A picture frame sat on a shelf near the window, slightly tilted. It was an old photo—one I had long since stopped paying attention to.
Me and my father.
I was barely a teenager in the photo, grinning at the camera with dirt-streaked cheeks, while my father stood beside me, his arm resting on my shoulder. His other hand gripped a rifle, his military uniform crisp and neat despite the rugged camp setting behind us.
Kael rea
