the marble floors, as if to remind herself that she was finally walking away. It had been a decision years in the making-one that she had suppressed, buried

he had long known. The man she had married was nothing more than a reflection of a man who had never existed for h

ng, and full of consequences she hadn't fully considered. As Daria made her way down the grand staircase, the weight of

its towering buildings casting long shadows over the street. Daria could feel the eyes of th

-something close to regret, but there was no real remorse. It was a reminder of how lit

he had yet to understand what that price truly was. There was a gaping hole inside her now, one that she hadn't anticipated. The absence of Arvid's cold presence shoul

et of the city. Her thoughts raced as she tried to make sense of what she had just done. For years, she had put everything on the line for a

she was outside of her marriage to Arvid. She had lived in the shadow of his indifference for so long that she had lost sight of who she was, what she wanted. She had been defined by her role a

alf-expecting it to be Arvid, demanding an explanation, trying to convince her to

e harsh reality of her marriage. But even Callum had his own demons, his own struggles, and Daria had always

l, her voice steady

oncern, but there was a sharp edge to it. "I've b

words didn't carry the weight of truth. "I

Callum said. "You're s

that she had left Arvid, that she was done living a life built on lies. But she w

said instead, her voice wavering sli

the wheels turning in Callum's mind. He was protective of her, and if he knew the truth, he wo

e leaving no room for argument. "Stay where

n this was coming. Callum wouldn't let her go without a fight. But she didn't have the

," she said, her

e her decision, but the aftermath of it was far from simple. It wasn't just about leaving Arvid. It was about reb

g the truth of who she had become in the process. The woman who had been so desperate for his love, for his appr

fragile, broken woman he had once known. She was different now-stronger,

quietly as he approached. "But

her words. There was a long silence

ere for you, Dari

ime in a long while