Heigl searched Yogev's face intensely, scanning his eyes for any trace of the familiar sarcasm that usually made him shut down completely. To his utter shock, Yogev met his gaze with absolute seriousness, patiently waiting for him to continue.
Yogev was not bracing to unleash cruel jokes about Heigl's disgraced father.
That mockingly dismissive reaction had been standard practice among the citizens of District Two whenever the topic of Dakkar Lumas arose.
In the early days, back when the crazy rumors were still fresh gossip, Heigl's father had tried to laugh it off and deflect the conversations. But as the ridicule mounted, Dakkar completely withdrew from social gatherings to shield himself from the poison.
Yet Dakkar was never truly bothered by the severe mistreatment. His calm demeanor and wild declarations had driven Heigl and his mother to relentless suffering, yet the man refused to recant a single word of his original claims.
