Chapter 28: Questions & Answers
"I’ve seen that face before..." Miles murmured, eyes locked on the portrait.
"That would be my father," came a voice from behind—deep, assured, composed.
Miles and Celina turned toward the source.
Standing at the entrance of the hallway was Victor Wraithbourne.
He wore a charcoal gray mandarin-collared suit, sharp but not flashy. His posture was firm, shoulders square, and his presence filled the room with quiet authority. His salt-and-pepper hair was slicked back neatly, and a short beard, carefully trimmed, framed his face. His eyes—gray like a clouded sky—were calm but calculating, like a man who had spent decades seeing beyond what others merely looked at.
Victor studied the young man in front of him.
Miles stood tall, his frame lean and powerful, dressed in a black half-coat over a dark shirt, his presence as still and collected as a soldier trained not just to kill, but to command. There was no need for noise around Miles—his aura spoke volumes. Victor saw Edward’s sharp jawline in him, Elena’s calm in the eyes, and something else layered beneath: steel forged in fire.
"Here you are, Dad," Celina said, stepping forward gently. "Miles, meet my father."
Miles dipped his head in a respectful nod and extended his hand slightly.
"Hello, Uncle Victor," he said with quiet grace.
Victor nodded, lips lifting ever so slightly. "Hello, Miles... you’ve grown up."