Dahlia couldn't sleep after that. The soft light of dawn had just begun to touch the sky, yet she found herself sitting quietly on the balcony, wrapped in her thoughts.
"What more did I—what more did the original soul do to him?" she whispered. The memory of the original Dahlia's cruelty toward Sullivan lingered vividly in her mind, a reminder of why so many found it difficult to believe she had truly changed.
"I have to be gentler with him," she murmured, almost as if saying it aloud would make it real. "Sullivan was neglected by everyone, left to fend for himself while the rest of us had people to care for us. That's why he doesn't know what is love and how it feels to be in love." Her chest tightened as she wondered, 'How will I even be able to meet his gaze again?' She even realized why bedding her was important for Sullivan last night.
