AT THE SAME TIME
EMPEROR LIANWEI POINT OF VIEW:
The chamber trembled with silence, Richard's confession hanging heavy in the air. Mei Shen's hand pressed against mine, steadying me, while my mother stood rigid, her gaze pinned on the man who should have been her brother in law. I stepped forward, every word carved from ice.
"You say you want family." My voice cut through the stillness. Richard looked up, eyes wide, as though desperate for a verdict. "Then prove it."
He blinked, unsure.
"P–prove?"Richard asked.
"You still hold what was never yours." I continued, each syllable sharp as steel. "The things you stole from my late father before he died."
At once, mother's breath hitched. Her hand flew to her lips, tears brimming instantly.
"W–what?"She asked.
The Bai brothers shifted uneasily, glancing between me and her. Even Zeyrith narrowed his glowing eyes, stormcloud wings rippling with interest. Richard froze, throat bobbing.
"You… you know about that?"He asked.
