_Kael's POV_
I stood quietly at the top of the staircase, my back pressed against the wall. I was listening to my parents argue downstairs. My heart hammered in my chest, and for a moment, I felt a mix of relief and something darker, something more satisfying. I had done what needed to be done, and now, the consequences were unfolding, bit by bit. I could hear the sharpness in my mother's voice and the cold edge of disappointment. It made me feel almost... victorious.
I leaned in slightly, just enough to catch the sound of their heated words.
"You need to understand, Grace," my father’s voice carried through the silence of the house. His tone was low but insistent. "Roxanne is going to be your future daughter-in-law. You can’t just speak like that about her in public. You need to be car
