Hector's POV

"Why are you here, and where did you spend all these years?" Maliyla asked.

A scowl escaped Jacob's lips. "My father sent me to study abroad. According to him, it was good for me. That was his method of getting me to understand him. When I returned, your dad had replaced him, and it was my fault, or so he told me. Although they banned me, they didn't do so completely." For a moment, Jacob was silent.

"Can you clarify what you mean by not completely?" I asked, stepping closer to ...