Juno's office fell silent again after Daniel's confession. The air felt colder or maybe it was just Valerie's perception shifting all at once. Her fingers were still wrapped around Daniel's hand, but now the grip felt different, more cautious, more careful, as if she were holding something fragile.
Valerie stared at Daniel intently, trying to process every word he had just said.
"What do you mean?" she asked quietly. Her voice didn't rise, but it was clearly holding something back. "The treatment they give… it actually harms them?"
Daniel didn't answer right away. He lowered his gaze for a moment, taking a long breath, like someone about to reopen something he had buried long ago.
"Back then…" he finally began, his voice low and heavy, "I went through it too."
The sentence froze Valerie in place.
Juno, who had been standing near the table, straightened immediately, her eyes narrowing as her full attention locked onto Daniel.
