Lyra knew something was wrong before she even saw him.
The moment she stepped into the clearing, the air felt different.
Heavy.
Tense.
And then—
She saw Daniel.
Standing there.
Waiting.
Her chest tightened instantly.
“Daniel…”
He didn’t respond right away.
His gaze stayed on her, steady, unreadable—but not calm.
Not like before.
“You were with him,” he said.
Not a question.
Lyra stopped a few steps away. “I didn’t—”
“Don’t lie,” he cut in quietly.
The words weren’t loud.
But they landed harder than anything else.
Silence stretched between them.
Because this time—
She couldn’t soften it.
Couldn’t explain it away.
“I wasn’t hiding it,” she said instead.
Daniel let out a slow breath, his jaw tightening slightly. “That’s not better.”
Her chest ached.
“I didn’t plan it
