Ares POV
I've crossed so many lines, sending her that handwritten letter through Zyril was downright illegal. And yet, as she stands here, all she seems to think about is Bathel. It's enough to make me wonder if the rumors are true after all.
Shaking my head, I whisper, "No- "
"Dana?" But then, Bathel's voice cuts through the air, calling out her name, and in that moment, it feels like something within me ceases to function.
I watch from my concealed vantage point in the tree, my gaze fixed on the pair below. Dana's face lights up with a radiant smile at the sight of Bathel, a smile I realize I haven't seen directed at me. Despite knowing she once loved me, seeing her expression now fills me with a mixture of longing and resignation.
A lump forms in my throat, and my eyes
