#Chapter 109 – Being Seen

Damon The garden was nearly silent, save for the wind teasing the leaves and the faint trickle of water from the marble fountain. I spotted her by the moon lilies—alone, her arms crossed over her chest, head tilted back like she was searching the stars for answers I hadn’t given her. She didn’t turn when I approached, her focus set on the sky. The gravel beneath my boots crunched too loudly I was worried I would scare her as I stopped a few feet away. Close enough to see how tense her shoulders were. How her jaw was clenched. “I thought I’d find you here,” I said quietly. She didn’t seem to hear me. My voice sounded useless even to me. Words didn’t fix things. Not anymore. Not after the Council. Not after Isabella. Not after I let silence poison what had once been the safest space between us. “Lila,” I tried again. She turned then. Slowly. Her eyes were unreadable—dark and wide and tired. I’d seen her cry. I’d seen her furious. But this expression cut deeper than