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Damien's POV.

I froze speechless, unable to answer Arielle's question. Cold sweat trickled down the side of my head as the seconds passed.

I didn't want to reveal the truth to her. It was going to hurt her, yet I couldn't lie to her either. It was like that saying, between a rock and a hard place. I swallowed hard and forced words over my tongue.

"Arielle—I, how did you hear about that?" My composure went down the drain. I made a futile effort to force a smile as I straightened up on her bed.

"I was going to tell you… I just—" Our eyes met and my words froze as her expression remained normal.

She still had the same glow she had all night. She didn't look angry or mad. She simply just watched me, waiting for an answer.

When I couldn't reply, she took my hands and smiled. "Hey, it's okay Damien. You don't need to get so worked up about it."