Dahlia's POV
The silence that followed was deafening. Nate was huffing, his nostrils flared, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. I was shaking, tears of frustration hot on my cheeks.
In the corner, I heard a small whimper.
We both turned. The three of them were awake, huddled together on the bed. Ariana was crying quietly, and Aidan was looking at us with a look of pure, cold disappointment that broke my heart.
"Are we going back to the bad place?" Ariana asked. The look on her face broke my heart.
"No, baby," I said, my voice cracking as I rushed to the bed. I glared at Nate over my shoulder. "We are not going back. Not to the old house, and not to a new one."
Nate stood in the center of the room, looking at us, his family and for the first time, he looked like he realized he was the outsider. The power he was so proud of, the title he wanted to give me... it didn't mean anything to them.
