Chapter 219

"Does that day still bother you that much?”

Surprised, even now, as she was about to be taken away by the police, Leia still seemed obsessed with what had happened. She… because of her…

“I see in bothers," Leia snapped, dearly emotional. "Though you know how Licht when I saw you upstairs being so gentle and attentive with Noelle. You toŠŤ THE VYSN Were shone with her, that you'd take my side. And then I see you comforting her, even arguing with Eli. Do you thank your behavior was completely of that day?"

Damon had no work.

From an outsider’s point of view, his actions had indeed been strange.

But, in the end, Damon knew what Noelle had been through that day for his sake.

Seeing how desperately Leia wanted the truth, Damon didn’t want to hide it from her anymore. He didn't want her to think he’d betrayed her.

After a moment’s hesitation, he decided to tell her–though leaving out a few crucial details.

“That day, Noelle and I were attacked. A group of people came after us."

Damon nodded. “I don’t even know where they came from. They said they were going to kill Noelle–just because she accidentally knocked off one of their masks. I got dragged into it too.

“The whole situation spiraled out of control. Noelle got hurt protecting me. When we got back, the place Eli hit her was exactly where she was already injured. I was still on edge from everything, so when I saw her hurt again, I lost it and argued with Eli."

"Leia…I don’t even know how to explain this to you. But after something like that, I couldn’t just pretend nothing happened. Noelle nearly died for me. Even if I hated her, I couldn’t just ignore that.”

Leia laughed bitterly. “That’s ridiculous. What kind of world are we living in where people just randomly try to kill Noelle! Damon, are you seriously expecting me to believe that?”

But halfway through her sentence, Leia suddenly went silent.

She remembered something. Back at school, there was a weird pop-up on her phone. It had asked her if there was someone she wanted dead.

At the time, she’d been seething with hatred for Noelle. So, half-jokingly, half-seriously, she’d entered Noelle’s name.

But nothing happened afterward, so Leia dismissed it as a stupid prank and forgot all about it.

Now, hearing Damon’s story, a chilling thought struck her, “What if that pop-up wasn’t a joke? What if someone had really acted on the info she gave them? No. That’s insane. That’s too ridiculous to be real, right?"

"Totally fine to me. Are you sure…"

Leia shook her head, still in disbelief. Her voice trembled. “You said Noelle got hurt saving you, but she looked totally fine to you’re not making this up?"

“She was really hurt," Damon insisted. “Think back, Leia–didn’t Eli say she didn’t look right! That she seemed pale? Everyone noticed it. That’s why I helped her upstairs to rest. And remember Nicolas? He showed up too. He carried her downstairs and said she had a fever–but really, it was the infection from her injury.”

Leia’s mind flashed back to that day.

Noelle, always full of energy, had looked totally drained. And when Nicolas carried her downstairs, hadn’t there been a faint metallic smell in the…

That smell was blood.

She really had been hurt. She wasn’t faking it.

So Noelle actually…

Realizing this, Leia started trembling.

5:50 AM

Chapter 219

shrill thoughts

…at Damon—the one who…

…one who had always protected and stood by her had betrayed her for Noelle.

But after hearing Damon’s explanation, she realized something painful. She was the one who had pushed Damon into Noelle’s arms.

If she hadn't acted on her hatred for Noelle… if she hadn’t entered that information into that pop-up, the attackers would never have come. Noelle wouldn’t have been in danger. She wouldn’t have needed to save Damon. And Damon wouldn’t feel like he owed her anything.

He would’ve stayed by her side.

Leia’s world crumbled.

Then, out of nowhere, she burst into laughter–loud, broken, almost hysterical.

Tears…

Damon looked at her, completely confused. He tried to approach her, but she shoved him hard.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Leia?” Damon saw the tears streaming down her face–so much pain, sorrow, and despair. He was stunned, unsure of what had triggered her so badly.

Leia’s heart felt like it was being torn apart.

She thought the universe was playing a cruel joke on her.

And Damon, still clueless, just stood there–it was almost laughable.

Something in her cracked.

A twisted smile curled on her lips as she cried and laughed at the same time. “Damon, aren’t you curious? Why would Noelle suddenly be attacked like that out of nowhere?”

Damon’s expression changed instantly. A terrible realization hit him.

“Leia, what are you saying!”

She didn’t deny it. Her voice broke as she confessed, “It’s exactly what you think. I did it. I’m the one who sent the info. I wanted her dead.”

Damon was in shock.

“You can tell the police if you want. I don’t care anymore. None of it matters now,” Leia laughed hysterically.

She stumbled her way toward the police officers and was soon taken into the car.

Bennett, watching from a distance, hadn’t heard their exchange.

But Leia’s meltdown said enough–and it made him smirk.

He’d always wondered why Damon, of all people, hadn’t cut ties with Noelle yet. Even argued with Eli over her.

"Events went around town the next day buying her medicine. That wasn’t normal."

Something major must've happened, Bennett had thought.

And now he knew–Leia had done something that forced Damon into Noelle’s debt.

From that moment on, Damon could never fully walk away from her.

Leia had meant to destroy Noelle.

Instead, she’d handed Noelle her strongest ally on a silver platter.

Watching her spiral like a tragic clown was, in Bennett's eyes, kind of hilarious.

He had to admit, for someone on her way out, Leia still managed to leave him with one last bit of entertainment.