Jared shook his head, feeling a sense of futility washing over him.
"You're wrong, Ivy. People want hope. They want to believe in redemption. You don't have to be this person." He reasoned.
She looked away, her jaw set stubbornly. "It's too late for that." She said with certainty.
The room fell silent, the weight of Ivy's words hanging in the air.
Jared sat back down, his shoulders heavy with the burden of his duty.
He had hoped to reach her, to find some semblance of humanity in her.
But it seemed Ivy was determined to remain the antagonist in her own story.
He leaned forward, his voice low and earnest.
"It's never too late, Ivy. But you have to want it. You have to be willing to change."
She met his gaze, her eyes cold and unyielding.
"Maybe for you, Jared. But not for me."
Jared sighed, rubbing his temples.
