Chapter 111. Love Is Courage

Third-Person POV

Andre sat in the shallow end of the pool, arms stretched along the edge, a cigarette pressed between his fingers, a half-empty bottle of whiskey resting beside him. The water barely reached his chest, but it was enough to give him the illusion of peace. His eyes were bloodshot, his jaw tight, and his aura had grown cold and unreadable.

It had been two months since everything fell apart. Two months since he had gone on detention and back twice, each time returning more broken than before. Two months since the chairman made sure to do everything to break him, systematically dismantling every piece of his life until the only thing that remained untouched was Vanessa—and even she felt like a ghost now, haunting the edges of his consciousness.

His days were spent drowning in alcohol and smoke, each sip and drag a futile attempt to numb the ache that had taken permanent residence in his chest.

Nights were even worse, haunted by gui