Chapter 34: Heartless

Daniel perched on the veranda, his gaze fixed on the star-studded night sky. Moonlight bathed the blue and gray stripes of his pajamas in an ethereal glow, casting long shadows that danced with the rustle of the night breeze.

As he rested his arm on the rail, goosebumps prickled his skin as the cool air nipped playfully but he barely noticed.

His brow furrowed in contemplation as his mind drifted back to the therapist's words.

'The truth isn't what we see or hear, it's what we feel.'

"What I feel....." Daniel trailed off with a whisper.

He still vividly remembered the night it all began.

He had gone to a seemingly harmless gala but woke up next to a stranger in bed the very next day.

Seeing Emma's barely covered body with bruises blooming on her skin like dark flowers then made anger surge through him.

Daniel realized he'd fallen into a trap, orchestrated by his competitors and felt foolish for not seeing through it.