Damon's POV
I'd spent the better part of a week trying to repair things with Maya. Her withdrawal was impossible to ignore—quiet, distant, always claiming exhaustion or hiding behind a book. The suspicion in her eyes was unmistakable. Desperate to reconnect, I took her back to the farm resort where we'd celebrated her birthday—a weekend just for us, isolated from the world and its complications. The getaway worked its magic gradually. Her smiles returned, and we stayed inseparable for those precious days. Still, beneath the surface, I could sense her lingering doubts.
Monday arrived with brutal swiftness. I strode into the police station with one clear objective: to deal with the Sasha situation once and for all. I needed this complication gone from my life. I'd barely made it to my office when Aurora intercepted me with an expression that spelled trouble.
"Damon, I've got some bad news," he began, studying me carefully, as if calculating how I might explode.
