Chapter 195. I’m Sorry

Osman pressed his hands to his ears dramatically, pacing back and forth near the cottage window. “Seriously? How long do they plan on cheering wildly? It’s been forever!” he complained, sounding both irritated and secretly impressed.

Candice leaned beside him to peek out. Sunlight spilled over the clearing where members of the Ivanov Clan were gathered, laughing, crying, hugging each other. Their cheers rose every few minutes in uneven waves — messy, emotional, but full of long-suppressed hope.

“They earned it,” Candice said quietly. There was a softness in her voice Osman didn’t hear often. “Zander must have carried this weight since he was barely grown. Losing his home. Losing his parents. Trying to protect the survivors while running from the Cross Clan. Every day must have felt like a borrowed day.”

Osman straightened slowly, a frown forming. “Hold on.”

Candice didn’t turn to him; she kept watching the celebrating clan.

Osman squinted. “Wh