Chapter 63

• Serena
• The morning sunlight streamed through the forest, casting a subdued warmth over the breakfast table. The four of us—Ashford, Alexei, Damon, and I—sat in heavy silence, each lost in our own thoughts. The clinking of utensils against plates was the only sound, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere that seemed to stretch the limits of our hidden emotions.
• I glanced at Damon, his eyes distant as he mechanically moved food around his plate. A knot tightened in my stomach as I gathered the courage to break the hovering silence.