Chapter 56

The truth was suffocating. It pressed against my chest, heavy and relentless, like a storm I couldn’t escape. I didn’t even know how I survived the night. My heart felt like it had been shattered into a million tiny pieces, the damage Alex had done years ago resurfacing in full force.

I sat by the lake, staring at the still water, the weight of everything crushing me. How had I let Nathan worm his way into my heart, take control of my emotions, only for him to twist the knife this deeply? Was it his betrayal—the realization that he had only ever wanted to destroy my family—that hurt the most? Or was it the shame of trusting him so completely?

I dropped my head into my hands, groaning softly. My chest ached with every thought. “How did I let it get this far?” I whispered, my voice trembling.

The spot around me was quiet, too quiet. Nothing had changed here. It was still serene, calm, and yet it mirrored my sadness. The same feeling of despair I had carried the