Anne hesitated, the weight of her words pressing down on her. She had carried this secret for so long. But now, seeing the chaos and pain Liana's paranoia had unleashed, she knew she couldn't stay silent any longer.
Taking a deep breath, Anne squared her shoulders and locked eyes with Damien. "You deserve to know the truth," she said, her voice trembling but resolute. "Liana isn't your real mother."
The room fell silent as though the air had been sucked out. Damien blinked, disbelief and shock flashing across his face. "What?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Anne's heart pounded, but she pressed on. "Your real mother... was Jennifer. She was Heather's sister, Damien. A human."
Damien staggered back a step, his world tilting. "Jennifer? No. That can't be. Liana raised me. She's my mother."