Ayla POV
When Dally and Lily left together, the dining room felt bigger.
Quieter.
Emptier.
I watched them disappear through the doorway, their heads bent toward each other as they talked.
Then Gunnar stood.
"We could work together," I offered.
For a moment, I thought he might say yes.
Instead, something shuttered behind his eyes.
"I do my best work solo."
The words weren't cruel, but they still landed like a punch.
"Oh."
His expression softened for half a second.
"I'll find you later."
I nodded. "Okay."
Then he was gone, too.
I sat alone at the enormous table for another minute, staring down at my untouched breakfast. What did I expect? He's just one more man walking away. One more person deciding they didn't need me.
The worst part was how quickly my brain filled in the b
