Although things seemed calm on the surface within the Blackwood household, Elyana was well aware of the silent storm brewing beneath. Keith and Auntie Kira had already clashed a hundred times in secret, their battles subtle but fierce. They were equally matched, and neither could gain the upper hand. Fortunately, Elyana wasn’t affected by their cold war—she had learned to stay clear of their invisible battlefield.
Meanwhile, her days were warmed by nightly video calls with Joxan. The boy had grown visibly tanner, his once-shy demeanor replaced by a more confident and outgoing energy. It was obvious he was enjoying the special training camp.
Oasis often joined the calls too, peeking into the screen with a wide grin. One day, after seeing Jessica a few times during the calls, the lively little boy boldly declared, “I’m going to marry your sister when I grow up!”
Joxan instantly flared up, his eyes blazing with childish jealousy. &ldqu
Daimon remained kneeling on the floor, frozen.He had hoped foolishly that if Elyana could accept him again, maybe Joxan would too. But reality had struck him harder than expected.Joxan was only five. But the things he’d witnessed the sleepless nights, the tears, the helplessness of his mother fighting alone to raise him and his sister were etched too deep in his little heart.And no matter how hard Daimon tried… Some wounds, even time couldn't erase.“Are you going out?”After breakfast, Daimon walked into Elyana’s room and saw her standing in front of the vanity mirror, applying the final touch of lipstick.“Yes, I’m going to meet Mini,” Elyana replied calmly, her tone indifferent.Daimon’s eyes stayed on her the whole time.“Let me drive you.”She turned around, meeting his gaze with a composed expression.“There’s no need. Finish y
Elyana looked up at him, eyes wide, rimmed red. “I wanted you to suffer,” she admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “I wanted you to feel what I felt when I begged you to love me and you didn’t. I wanted you to bleed the way I did that night.”Daimon nodded slowly.“Then do it. Hate me. Punish me. Hit me, scream at me, but don’t leave me. Give me a chance to atone—to be the man you deserve. I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life making it right.”Her heart nearly gave out. Her mind spun in chaos.“And what if I can’t forgive you?” she asked quietly.He cupped her face with trembling hands, forcing her to look into his eyes—eyes full of love, desperation, and fear. “Then I’ll wait,” he said.“Even if it takes the rest of my life. I’ll wait. Because loving you… that’s the only thing I’ve ever been certain of.”Elyana’s tears poured silently, her heart caught between everything that had been broken and everything that could still be saved.A long silence followed. One filled with too
Elyana froze, his question slicing through the storm of pain raging inside her. Her back was to him, her shoulders trembling not from fear, but from the weight of her shattered heart.“What do you have to do?” she repeated bitterly, her voice shaking. “Can you turn back time? Can you take away the scars on my body? The nightmares that kept me awake every night for five years? Can you bring back my old face?”Daimon’s breath hitched.She turned slowly, her face streaked with tears. Her eyes held pain, fury, and devastation raw and unfiltered.“You can’t.”She shook her head.“You can’t undo what happened. Even if what you said is true even if Katrina’s child wasn’t yours even if you never meant for me to be hurt… I was hurt. I bled for you. I died for you, Daimon.”Daimon stepped forward, as if every word she spoke tore into him.“I know,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “And if I could take your pain and carry it myself, I would. I would take every cut, every broken bone, every sleepl
He stopped. His voice cracked just slightly at the end. Then, silence.He exhaled slowly.“I didn’t tell you any of this before,” he said softly, “because I didn’t know how to bring up my brother in front of you.”Elyana’s expression didn’t change, but her hands tightened into fists at her sides.“You never knew about him,” Daimon continued as his fingers brushed on her cheeks. “After you came into my life, I just… never mentioned him. I thought it didn’t matter. And when Katrina came back… she brought the news of his death with her. I was devastated, Elyana. I didn’t know how to deal with it, let alone explain it to you.”His voice dropped a little, as if admitting something even he had never said out loud before.“At that time, I wasn’t thinking about how you felt. I just needed to confirm if what she said was true. Whether the child she carried was truly my brother’s. Because if that child was family… if he was really my brother’s son… I couldn’t let him be born outside, alone, unp
Daimon gently laid Elyana down on the bed, his breath shaky as his hands moved to undo her blouse. But the second his fingers brushed the fabric, Elyana jolted back to her senses.Her eyes widened, and she instantly caught his hand.“Daimon, don’t… Let me go!”Her voice was sharp, trembling. She pushed him off with sudden strength, sitting upright and swinging her legs off the bed.“Damn it… How could I let myself lose control?” Elyana cursed silently, trying to calm the storm inside her.She took a deep breath, the cold air filling her lungs as she stepped away from him, the warmth of his body a stark contrast to the chill that had settled in her chest.She stood, refusing to even look at him. “Don’t mistake this for anything. It meant nothing—it was just a mistake,” she said coldly, reaching for the door.But Daimon moved before she could escape. He grabbed her arm and spun her back, forcing her onto the bed again not with cruelty, but desperation. He pinned her beneath him, his arm
In the kitchen, Elyana stood by the sink, her fingers tapping the counter in irritation. Her heart was still pounding from the shock.“What was he doing there?” she muttered under her breath. “Don’t tell me he actually slept on the floor the whole night…”She glanced at the stairway, then back at the empty counter.“He’s still wearing the same clothes,” she mumbled. Her fingers curled into a fist.“Hah,” she exhaled, patting the side of her head in frustration. “Why do I even care? Let him freeze. Let him rot out there.”Shaking her head, she poured herself a glass of lukewarm water and took a slow sip to calm her nerves. After a moment, she brewed some coffee more out of habit than need and carried the warm cup out into the garden.The morning air was crisp and fresh, brushing against her skin like a forgotten memory. It was quiet. Peaceful. The kind of quiet tha