Avara POV
The world tilts as the pieces start to fit together. My voice is barely above a whisper. "An attempt that we survived? The only ordeal I've ever experienced was a car crash. The day my mother—"
My gaze snaps to Botan, who finally meets it. His eyes are heavy, not with guilt but with resignation.
"It wasn't an accident," he states. "I made the call. Your father was a threat, and Haru refused to see it. He was blinded by the brotherhood he thought he shared with Alden. So I acted in his best interest, even if it was against his wishes."
My stomach churns violently. "You killed my mother," I whisper, my voice trembling with rage and grief.
"We didn't know you would be with him," Botan admits. "The team on-ground didn't convey the revised report. We knew he was heading out of town, but what we didn't know—I didn't know his family went with him. I tried to call it off, but by then I was already informed of the collision. Three survivors. One fatality."
