ARIA
Maya's hands clench into fists at her sides, her expression shifting from disbelief to something darker. Harder.
"There's something you need to know," she says. "About Declan and Celeste."
I sit on the edge of the bed, waiting.
"After you left—after the exile—Celeste started spreading stories. Love stories." Maya's voice drips with disgust. "She rewrote everything. Suddenly, you weren't Declan's girlfriend of three years. You were just... some girl who had a crush on him. Someone who misunderstood his kindness for something more."
My jaw tightens.
"She told everyone that she and Declan had this instant, powerful connection the moment the fated bond appeared," Maya continues, her hands clenching tighter. "That it was so overwhelming, so undeniable, that they couldn't fight it eve
