He stopped in front of Elias and Liana.
The silence tightened.
Elias stepped forward immediately, anger rising through desperation.
“Who are you?” he demanded. “Do you have any idea where you are? This is not a place for delusions or tricks!”
The boy didn’t look at him.
His eyes stayed on Liana.
Boy: “She doesn’t need a miracle.”
Elias froze.
Boy: “She needs to remember.”
A sharp murmur spread through the room.
Elias laughed bitterly, but it was broken. “Remember what? She hasn’t spoken in three years!”
The boy took a slow step closer.
Boy: “That’s not because she forgot how.”
Liana’s fingers twitched.
For the first time, she moved closer to the boy—barely noticeable, but real.
Elias saw it and panicked.
“No—don’t!” he snapped. “Stay away from her!”
But the boy spoke again, softer now.
Boy: “Liana… you promised you would wait.”
The entire ballroom went still.
Elias turned sharply. “What did you just say?”
Liana’s eyes filled with tears.
A breath trembled through her lips.
The boy knelt slightly, just enough to meet her gaze.
Boy: “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”
Her lips parted.
A sound tried to escape.
Not a word.
Not yet.
But something real.
The chandeliers flickered above as if the palace itself had reacted.
And for the first time in three years—
Liana Montgomery was about to speak.
