LOGINChapter Two Hundred and Twenty SevenThe morning felt calm in a way Aria wasn’t used to anymore.Not because everything was perfect, but because nothing was rushing her. No urgent thoughts, no need to push anything aside just to get through the day. It was quiet, steady and almost gentle.She sat at the dining table across from her father, a plate of breakfast in front of her that she hadn’t touched much yet. The smell of tea filled the room, familiar and comforting, the kind of small detail that usually helped her settle into her day.But today, she wasn’t thinking about work.Her fingers rested loosely around the spoon in her hand, her gaze lowered slightly as if she was gathering her thoughts before speaking. She had been quiet since she came into the room, and her father had noticed. He always did.He didn’t interrupt her immediately. He simply watched her for a moment, his expression calm, patient, waiting for her to speak when she was ready.And she was.“Dad… there’s something
Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty SixThe ride back home felt longer than usual.Aria sat by the window of the taxi, her gaze fixed on the passing streets, but she wasn’t really seeing them. The city moved like it always did—cars passing, people crossing, life continuing without pause—but none of it settled her the way it normally would.She wasn’t restless.She wasn’t overwhelmed.But her mind wasn’t quiet either.It moved slowly, carefully, like it was trying to understand something it had avoided for too long.By the time the taxi stopped in front of her building, she barely noticed how long the ride had taken. She paid the driver, stepped out, and walked inside without hesitation, her movements steady, her expression unchanged.Everything about her looked the same.But inside, something had already started shifting.Her apartment greeted her with the same calm it always did. Clean. Organized. Predictable. The kind of space she had built for herself after everything had fallen apart.
Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty FiveThe plane had already taken off by the time Damien finally allowed himself to settle into the quiet.Not the kind that came from absence.The kind that came when there was nothing left to do.No decisions to make. No conversations waiting. No room to turn back.Just time.He sat by the window, his seat slightly reclined, one hand resting loosely against the armrest while the other stayed still on his lap. The low hum of the aircraft filled the space around him, steady and consistent, almost enough to drown out everything else.Almost.Outside, the sky stretched endlessly, clouds layered beneath them like something distant and untouched. He wasn’t really looking at anything in particular, but his gaze stayed there anyway.Still.Focused.Not because he was trying to escape his thoughts.But because he wasn’t avoiding them either.For the first time in a long while, he let everything come as it was.No resistance.No defense.Just honesty.Minnesota h
Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty FourAria didn’t make the decision all at once.It didn’t come like urgency or panic or some sudden rush of emotion she couldn’t control. It came slowly, building through the quiet moments she couldn’t ignore anymore. The way her father’s words had stayed with her. The way the memory of that evening kept replaying—not what she said, but how quickly she had said it. How certain she had been, without giving him space to speak.She had gone to bed that night thinking it would pass.It didn’t.The next morning, she told herself to focus on work. Patients, reports, schedules—things that made sense, things she could control. And she did. She showed up the way she always did. Steady. Composed. Reliable.But somewhere in between conversations and consultations, her mind kept drifting back to him.Not the version she had known before.Not the man who had hurt her.The one she saw now.The one who didn’t argue.The one who didn’t push.The one who had simply… left
Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty-ThreeAria stayed beside her father for a while after helping him sit, her attention fully on him as she reached for the glass of water on the table and handed it over. Her movements were careful, practiced, the kind that came from years of knowing exactly what to do in situations like this. But beneath that calm surface, something inside her had already begun to shift.“Drink slowly,” she said, watching him closely as he took a few small sips.“I’m alright,” he replied after a moment, though his voice carried a tired edge. He leaned back slightly, letting out a quiet breath before glancing at her again. “You worry too much.”Aria didn’t respond to that. She just adjusted the cushion behind him and reached for the small paper bag on the table, pulling out the medication inside. Her brows pulled together slightly as she looked at it.“These aren’t from your usual pharmacy,” she said, more to herself than to him.Her father followed her gaze and smiled fai
Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty-TwoBy the time Aria got home, the evening had settled into a quiet calm that usually brought her comfort. The street outside was familiar, the kind of place where nothing ever felt out of place, where routines stayed predictable and life moved in a steady, manageable rhythm.She stepped inside, closing the door gently behind her before slipping off her shoes. The house greeted her the way it always did—still, neat, unchanged. It should have felt grounding.But it didn’t.Her eyes moved instinctively toward the living room, then the hallway, then the small corner where her father usually sat after his evening walks.Empty.She paused for a second, her brows pulling together slightly.“Dad?” she called out, her voice carrying lightly through the house.No response.That wasn’t unusual. He often took his time during those walks, sometimes stopping to talk to neighbors or just enjoying the evening air longer than planned. But something about today felt… dif
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-SixBy the time they arrived in Canada, Damien had exhausted himself from shouting Clara’s name. It didn’t matter. No amount of pleading changed anything. The convoy split the moment they left the airport grounds. Clara was taken elsewhere, dropped off at her own pla
Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen Richard sat at his desk, fingers hovering over the keyboard, the city skyline through his office window bright and clear. It should have been a normal morning. Meetings, calls, the usual. But a single notification pulled him from routine.An email from Aria.He open
Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen Damien came back to himself slowly, not all at once.His eyes opened, but his mind lagged behind. The ceiling above him looked familiar, yet wrong, like a place he hadn’t chosen to be. His mouth was dry, his tongue thick. When he tried to swallow, it felt like sand
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen The dining room smelled of food that had gone cold too fast.Damien sat at the long table, shoulders slumped, one hand wrapped loosely around his fork. He chewed slowly, eyes unfocused, like his mind was somewhere else and his body was only doing what it had been t







