Damien's eyes darkened, his confident demeanour faltering for a moment. He leant forward, his voice a mixture of disbelief and concern.
"Annie, I…" Damien struggled to find the right words. "I had no idea. I swear, if I had known...
She raised a hand, cutting him off. "It doesn't matter now. What's done is done."
"But it does matter," Damien insisted, his voice low but intense. "You were supposed to be protected, not harmed. I'm so sorry, Annie. I failed you."
Annie looked away, unable to meet his gaze any longer. The sincerity in his voice was almost too much to bear. She had spent years building up walls to protect herself, to keep the pain at bay, and now, in just a few minutes, Damien was chipping away at those defences.
"I don't need your apologises, Damien," she said quietly, her fingers tightening around her napkin.
"Let's not talk about it."
He nodded slowly, absorbing her words.
