Chapter 597

Melina suddenly understood why Andrew feared the dark. Given how strong and commanding Andrew was, his dread of darkness seemed so out of place. But sitting here now, she realized it stemmed from all those years of imprisonment. He must have sat exactly like this during those starless nights—blind and consumed by the pitch-black void. Darkness didn't sound so terrifying, not at first. But imagine being trapped in a confined space with no one around and no sound to break the silence—only endless darkness. Day after day. Year after year. Just the thought of it made Melina feel suffocated. She couldn't even fathom how Andrew had survived those years of torment and abuse. Sitting beside him now, she no longer felt like an observer of his pain. Instead, she felt as though she were living it with him. Without thinking, Melina reached out and held Andrew's hand. Two lonely souls found solace in one another. "I'll stay with you," she whispered. The faint tremor in An