Celeste POVFor a long time, I stayed in Dad’s arms without saying anything.I just stood there in the quiet hallway, holding onto him like I had when I was a little girl, back before I even knew he was my father, back when all I wanted was for someone stronger than me to tell me everything would be alright.His hand moved slowly over my back, steady and warm, and that simple touch was enough to keep me from completely falling apart.The palace had gone quiet around us. The children were asleep. Ryan had stepped away to make a few calls to the hospital and check on Jasmine. For the first time since I returned, there was nothing left to distract me from the truth sitting heavily in my chest.Dad must have felt the shift in me, because after a while, he gently pulled back just enough to look at my face.“Come,” he said softly. “Let’s sit down.”He led me into the drawing room, where only one lamp had been left burning. The soft light made the room feel smaller and warmer than usual. I s
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