Chapter Hundred fourty-six

Darius’s POV

I could hardly believe what Anita had just said to me. Her words cut deeper than any sword ever could. I had always known she was kind, that she trusted and cared for me beyond reason, and yet, today, it felt like all of that had shattered in an instant. She looked at me as though I were a stranger—a threat. And though I knew my actions were wrong, I never thought she would turn her back on me so easily, with such cold finality.

I took a step toward her, instinctively wanting to close the gap, but she raised her hand, stepping back, her face a mask of dismay.

“Don’t come any closer, Darius,” she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. “You’re not the same person I once knew. You’re not the Darius who helped me, who stood by me in the forest. That person was kind, compassionate. But you… You’re someone else. I barely recognize you.”

I stopped, swallowing the lump forming in my throat. Her words echoed in my mind, and I realized how much she truly meant to me—mo