But inside, everything shifted.
'Now I understand,' she realized. In her past life, she had never known about the prophecy. Now, everything made sense. Why did Dante try to separate her from Silas...Why, after Silas's death, hadn't Dante looked shocked, only devastated, as if he had already known this outcome would come.
Hearing Ivy's voice, Dante shook his head slowly.
Shame filled his eyes, heavy and unmistakable, and his shoulders sagged as though the weight of the past had finally caught up to him.
"I was wrong," he admitted quietly. "I blamed you… but I never blamed myself."
His fingers curled slightly, nails pressing into his palm. "Maybe, somewhere in my heart, I believed that as long as I blamed you enough, you would leave on your own."
He lifted his gaze to Ivy, his voice softening.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "Thank you for not leaving us, Silas."
His lips curved into a faint, self-mocking smile. "Even though I acted like a complete jerk."
