Why?
Why had she refused her own son?
No matter how far Yueyao fell into despair, her bond with Shen Xuan had been unbreakable, warm, nurturing, unyielding even when she herself was empty.
Seeing her recoil from him, her eyes vacant and cold, sent an unfamiliar tightness through his chest.
Was it him?
Had he broken her so deeply… that even her love for Shen Xuan had crumbled?
His jaw clenched imperceptibly as he exhaled a silent, ragged breath.
He ran a hand down his face, fingers dragging across the faint stubble along his sharp jaw. The cold of his palm bit into his skin, anchoring him to the moment.
Finally, he straightened, rolling his tense shoulders back as he turned and walked down the silent corridor, each step echoing with grim finality.
Outside the guest room, he paused, staring at the plain mahogany door. Unlike his master suite's gilded gold handles and carved dragons, this door was unadorned, silent, almost comforting in its simplicity.
