She took a step closer, and Aria immediately tensed, hand moving fractionally toward her weapon. But Jessica didn't notice or didn't care. Her focus remained entirely on Darius."I just want to know some things," Jessica continued, her voice taking on a note of pleading. "Things that seem confusing to me. Contradictory. I remember who you were, Darius. Or Michael, or whatever name you're using now. I remember the boy I knew years ago. Sweet. Kind. Trusting. And then I see who you are now—this powerful, dangerous warrior who can destroy fifty armed men without breaking a sweat. Who can make my father kneel and beg for mercy. Who can—"She stopped, her voice catching slightly. "I don't understand how those two people can be the same. How the transformation happened. What changed you so completely. And I need to understand. I need to know if there's anything left of the person I... the person I cared about."Darius stood silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Inside, his th

Alessia opened her mouth to protest further, but something in Aria's expression made her reconsider. With a final suspicious glance at Jessica, she allowed Aria to lead her away from the entrance, back into the villa's interior."This isn't over," Alessia said as she departed. "We're going to talk about this later, Darius!""Later," Darius agreed, his tone making it clear the subject was closed for now.The door closed behind them, leaving Darius and Jessica alone in the courtyard. The security lights cast long shadows across the marble, and the distant sound of the city's nightlife created a quiet backdrop to their confrontation.For several long seconds, neither spoke. They simply stood there, studying each other, trying to reconcile memory with reality, past with present, what they'd been with what they'd become.Jessica was the one who finally broke the silence. "So," she began, her earlier authoritative tone softening slightly. "Are we going to stand out here all night, or are yo