Chapter 205

DANTE'S POV

Before I could answer Adam's question, Aria’s soft voice broke the silence in the hospital room. It wasn’t loud, but it pierced through the stillness like a sharp blade.

“Everything that happened, it's all because of you,” she said.

Her words hit me harder than I expected. My chest tightened, and for a moment, I couldn’t even breathe.

The air in the room grew heavy, suffocating, and I felt the weight of her accusation settling deep in my gut.

She wasn’t wrong. It was truly my fault, no matter how much I tried to explain or justify it to myself.

I looked at her, but she didn’t turn away or soften. Her eyes, even in her weakened state, held anger. Hurt. Maybe even fear.

“I know,” I said quietly. My voice sounded strange in my own ears, low and heavy with guilt. I didn’t even try to argue because I knew it wouldn’t matter. Words wouldn’t undo what had happened. I had let this happen to her. I nodded, lowering my gaze. “I know, Aria.”