로그인Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty FourAria didn’t feel rushed that morning.Everything about her movements carried a quiet sense of completion, like she had already made peace with leaving before she even stepped out of the room. Her suitcase sat closed by the door, neatly packed, nothing forgotten, nothing left behind in a careless way. She had taken her time with it, folding each piece of clothing with the same steady focus she had carried through the past few days.Canada had been… something.Not overwhelming. Not dramatic.Just something that had shifted more than she expected.Still, she wasn’t holding on to it. At least, that was what she told herself.By the time she checked out of the guest inn, everything felt simple again. The receptionist gave her a polite smile, wished her a safe trip, and she returned it just as calmly before stepping outside to wait for the taxi.The air was cooler than usual, carrying that faint sharpness that came before a change in weather. She noticed
Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty ThreeFrom the balcony, the view was clear, calm in a way that didn’t demand anything from anyone standing there.Damien leaned slightly against the railing, his gaze fixed ahead, but not really focused on anything specific. Beside him, Richard Greyson sat comfortably, one arm resting on the chair, watching his son in that knowing way he always did when Damien was trying to sort through something he couldn’t easily say out loud.For a while, neither of them spoke.Damien exhaled slowly before finally breaking it.“She listened, Dad,” he said, his voice calm but carrying something deeper beneath it. “But you know that look… when someone has already made peace with letting you go.”He paused briefly, his eyes lowering for a second before lifting again toward the city.“That’s what she gave me.”Richard didn’t respond immediately. He studied Damien for a moment, taking in not just what he said, but how he said it.“You handled it well,” he said after a whil
Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty TwoThey didn’t separate immediately after that moment.There was no sudden decision to stay together or to move apart. It happened more naturally than that, as if neither of them felt the need to break the space they were already sharing.Damien was the first to take a slow step forward, not closing distance too quickly, but enough to signal movement instead of stillness. Aria didn’t step back. She simply adjusted her pace and matched his direction without saying anything.And just like that, they began walking.Side by side, but not too close.Not tense, not comfortable in a familiar way yet either.Just… present.The street around them remained unchanged. People passed, distant sounds moved in and out of reach, but between them, everything felt slightly more focused, like the rest of the world had become less important for a while.At first, they didn’t speak.Not because there was nothing to say, but because neither of them wanted to rush into the wr
Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty OneNeither of them left.Not immediately.It wasn’t planned, and it wasn’t something either of them decided consciously. It just happened in that strange way moments like this sometimes do, where movement feels unnecessary and words haven’t yet caught up with what’s already changed between two people.They stood there in the same space, facing each other, neither stepping forward, neither stepping back. The street around them continued as if nothing had shifted, but for them, everything in that small space felt paused.There was silence, but not the kind that creates distance.It was controlled.Familiar in a way neither of them wanted to name too quickly.It carried history without needing to explain it.Aria was the first to speak.Not because she had rehearsed it, and not because she was overwhelmed, but because staying silent any longer would have meant avoiding what she had already come here to face.Her voice came out steady, carefully measured.“
Chapter Two Hundred and ThirtyShe was bored of the hotel room.It was already past six in the evening, and the quiet inside the space had started to feel a little too still. Not uncomfortable, not suffocating—just… enough. She had spent hours there without really noticing the time pass, sitting, thinking, moving from one small thing to another without actually settling into anything.At some point, she realized she didn’t want to stay in anymore.Not tonight.She changed into something simple, nothing that drew attention, just comfortable enough for a short walk. Her movements were calm, unhurried, like she wasn’t trying to escape the room, just stepping out of it for a while.When she left the building, the air outside met her gently, cool and familiar. Canada felt different in the evening. The streets weren’t crowded, but they weren’t empty either. People moved at their own pace, some heading home, some just walking like they had nowhere urgent to be.Aria stepped onto the sidewalk
Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty NineHe had returned to Canada like nothing had changed.The schedule picked up immediately. Meetings, calls, decisions waiting for him the moment he stepped back into his role. The Greyson name didn’t slow down for anything, and Damien didn’t expect it to. He moved through it the same way he always had focused, composed, efficient.From the outside, there was nothing unusual about him.He sat through meetings with the same steady attention, listened more than he spoke, and when he did speak, his words were clear and direct. There was no distraction in the way he handled business, no sign that anything had shifted beneath the surface.If anything, he seemed more controlled.More precise.But quieter.Not in a way that drew immediate concern, but enough for someone who knew him well to notice.Victor did.It wasn’t something he pointed out directly. He simply observed it in the way Damien responded to things. The way he no longer lingered in conversations
Chapter Fifty FiveAria sat across from Richard in his study, her hands folded tightly on her lap. The room smelled faintly of old books and polished wood. The curtains were half drawn, letting in a soft afternoon glow. Richard sat behind his large desk, his glasses resting low on his nose as he st
Chapter Fifty Six“Please, Clara,” Damien said softly into the phone. His voice was lower than usual, almost careful. He stood near the window, the small black box resting in his palm. He kept opening it, closing it, then opening it again, his thumb brushing over the ring inside. “We haven’t gone o
Chapter Fifty FourAria stepped quietly into the room. The window was wide open, and a cold wind swept in, carrying the faint scent of the garden outside. Damien was asleep on the bed, uncovered. The blanket he had refused earlier lay crumpled beside him.She froze for a moment, watching him. He l
Chapter Forty SixSuzan locked herself inside the store room and pressed her back against the wooden shelf. The wood was rough against her skin, but she didn’t move. Buckets were stacked beside her, cartons of soap and disinfectant piled carelessly, a mop leaning against the wall like it had been a







