Chapter 55 - A Tapestry of Missed Moments
"Why didn't you approach me sooner?" The question hung in the air between us, heavy with unspoken possibilities.
Damien's expression softened as he leaned against the railing beside me, our shoulders almost touching. The city lights twinkled below us like fallen stars.
"I wish I had," he admitted quietly. "But my time in Xuzhen was brief. My grandfather believed in strict discipline—I was only there for summer training before being sent to a military academy."
I nodded, encouraging him to continue.
"After those encounters, I asked about you whenever I visited Xuzhen, but you weren't there. Your grandmother had passed away, and there was no trace of you."
The mention of my grandmother brought a familiar ache. She'd been my safe harbor in a stormy childhood. When she died, I'd lost my only refuge from my father and stepmother's home.