She lifted her chin, eyes meeting his for the first time in five years.
“Roland,” she said, voice steady despite the tremor in her hands, “you asked me to come. I brought them because you asked what I’d become.”
The twins swayed, eyes wide, clutching their mother’s hands tighter.
“Why did you throw us away?” Naomi continued, the courtyard echoing each word.
She felt the weight of the marble arches, the gaze of aristocrats, and the cold wind that seemed to carry her resolve.
Roland’s jaw tightened; his eyes flicked to the children, then back to Naomi.
“You have the right to ask,” she whispered, the twins whispering “Daddy?” into the silence.
Roland’s Facade Crumbles Under Their Voices
Roland opened his mouth, rehearsed politeness wobbling like a loose cufflink.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please—” his voice trembled, a thin veil over panic.
The twins leaned forward, their cheeks flushed, mouths forming the same question.
“Daddy, why did you leave us?” Lily shouted, her tiny fists pounding the marble.
“Dad, why?” Noah echoed, his voice ringing like a bell.
The courtyard erupted; crystal glasses clinked, guests gasped, and a murmur spread like wildfire.
Roland’s face went pale, the confident mask slipping to reveal raw, unfiltered fear.
He swallowed, trying to keep composure, but the twins’ eyes were relentless, demanding answers he could not give.
“I—” he began, but the children’s cries drowned him out.
“Answer us, Daddy!” Lily’s voice cracked, reverberating off the marble pillars.
Naomi stood firm, watching the man she once loved dissolve before the eyes of his own flesh.
