The words dropped between them like stones.
Daniella's head snapped toward him. Tired as she was, anger flickered hot behind her eyes. "I never asked you to stay. I never forced you to do a single thing for me. You chose this. You stayed on your own."
Her chest moved in uneven pulls; just talking took more strength than she had. Still she kept going, quieter now but no less stubborn. "You did it willingly."
Silence stretched between them, tight and measured.
"I already carry enough debts," she added, voice lower, the anger giving way to something guarded and tired. "Don't you dare pile more on top of it."
Santiago observed her, every word, every shift in her face. She was steadier than before. Her emotions were still there, but they no longer spilled over uncontrollably. Something inside her had settled.
She wasn't breaking apart.
His eyes narrowed a fraction, measuring the change.
"She's calmer," he noted to himself. More in control.
