Aria's POV
I saw Damon freeze. For a split second, I even saw the blood drain from his face.
Maybe I was imagining things.
But it didn't matter. A strange, almost cruel satisfaction bloomed in my chest.
"Aria—"
"I'm not finished." My voice was steady, even as my hands shook.
"You've spent years resenting me for a marriage I didn't choose. You've spent years punishing me for being your mate. And now?" I looked at Claudia, then back at him.
"Now you have what you've always wanted. A reason to leave."
I turned and walked toward the exit. I didn't run. I didn't cry.
But as I pushed through the glass doors into the cold morning air, I felt something inside me c***k.
It was the last thing holding me together.
****
Damon's POV
I watched her go.
The glass doors swung shut behind her,
