Kaia tilted her head, concern knitting her brow. “Whatever it is, you can say it, dear.”
Raya lowered her gaze. “My biological father… is King Rufus.”
The silence that followed was heavy and sharp. Kaius didn’t move. Neither did Markus. But Kaia blinked slowly, her expression unreadable.
“I didn’t ask to be born from him,” Raya said, her voice trembling but steady. “And I’m not asking for anything because of it. I’m just... telling you. I don’t know how this will affect things, and I’m not expecting you to be happy about it. I just couldn’t continue being celebrated without you knowing.”
Kaius reached for her hand and gripped it tightly. Markus, after a beat, stood from his seat and walked toward her. He didn’t say anything at first, just looked at her, the full weight of his presence
