"They were childhood best friends? Well, that makes much more sense," Florian said, trying to keep his tone casual. Still, there was a growing tension in his chest, a suspicion that had been quietly gnawing at him ever since Heinz started recounting Anastasia and Delilah's story.
Something unspoken.
Something aching beneath the surface.
"Delilah was in love with my mother," Heinz said—so calmly, so matter-of-factly, that Florian almost missed the weight of his words.
Florian's eyes widened. He stared at Heinz, stunned. 'How can he just say it like that? Like it's no big deal?'
"D-Did she tell you, or…?" Florian asked, stumbling over his words. He was flustered, mainly because he had only suspected Delilah might have been in love with Queen Anastasia. But to hear it confirmed so bluntly…
It unsettled him.
It also made everything Delilah did—her protectiveness, her hostility toward him, her constant interference—start to fall into place.
