Chapter 149

• Liza had grown up in a world vastly different from the one she now found herself navigating. Concepts like love were foreign to her, leaving her bewildered by the lengths some people would go to in the name of it. She couldn’t understand why Serena would twist facts to win over Brandon or why Sophia would sabotage an entire banquet just to frame her. And now, Audrey had gone so far as to harm herself in an attempt to secure Gavin’s affection.
• All of this left Liza feeling conflicted and confused. If love required such self-destructive behavior, she thought, she would rather remain untouched by it. But Gavin’s words had planted a new idea in her mind: true love wasn’t about inflicting pain—on oneself or others. Instead, it was about protecting and cherishing.
• Gavin, unable to see in the darkness, relied on the warmth radiating from Liza to sense her presence. His voice was calm yet resolute. “That’s why, in the future, you must take care of yourself and stay safe.”