Chapter 15

• A heavy silence descended upon us, punctuated only by the soft rustle of fabric as he lowered his head. Edmund's eyes, once bright with the wisdom of years, now glistened with the onset of tears. They clung to his lashes like dew on the verge of falling, each one a silent testament to the pain of secrets held too long.
• “Richard,” he began, his voice trembling with emotion, “there are truths that have long been concealed, burdens that I can no longer bear alone.”
• I watched as tears welled in his eyes, glistening like liquid diamonds in the dim light of the room. And then, like a dam breaking, the floodgates opened, and he poured forth the secrets that had haunted him for years.