Daniel.
Would she seriously pick Noah over me?
The question echoed over and over in my head, louder with every passing second, drowning out everything else. I stared at her, trying to understand, trying to make sense of the choice she was making so easily, like it didn't cost her anything.
After everything, after all the lengths I had gone through just to get to this point.
A slow breath left me as I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to remain still, to remain calm. This wasn't how I wanted things to go. It was never supposed to be like this.
I had planned it differently and carefully. I wanted her to come with me willingly. I didn't want her to see me as a monster.
That had been the whole point.
Yes… I was following orders. I couldn't deny that. The weight of it rested heavily on my shoulders, binding me to something bigger than myself. But even then, I had tried to bend it, to shape it in a way that would benefit me.
Because this wasn't just about orders, not entirely.
