Chapter 48

Lauren's POV 

I watched them walk away, their silhouettes shrinking against the horizon with every step. My body stayed frozen in place, my knees digging painfully into the sand, but I barely felt it. The gritty particles clung to my skin, sticking to the dampness of my legs, and my hands were buried deep in the coarse grains as if holding onto the earth itself might keep me from collapsing completely. The tears that streamed down my face dripped steadily onto the ground, mixing with the sand until tiny dark patches bloomed beneath me.

“Please… don’t go,” I called out one more time, my voice breaking into a pitiful rasp. “Elena… she needs this.” My words echoed weakly in the stillness, drifting after them like fragile smoke. I kept staring at Ethan’s back, hoping desperately that he would pause, glance over his shoulder, maybe let even a flicker of decency soften him. But he didn’t stop. He didn’t turn around. His stride didn’t falter, not even for