Chapter 27: The Brother They Forgot

Noah’s POV

The Queen—my mother—stepped closer, her steps slow as if she didn’t trust her own eyes. Her hands trembled when she reached out and brushed my cheek, her touch light but shaking. Her eyes widened, filled with disbelief, and her lips parted as though she had forgotten how to breathe.

“Noah,” she whispered again, her voice softer than before but heavy with emotion. “I’ve been waiting for you. Why didn’t you come back sooner?”

For ...