Ivy had barely taken a few steps when Daniel hurried forward and stopped in front of her, his movements rushed and slightly unsteady as if he feared she might disappear if he hesitated even a second.
"Ivy… please wait," he called out, his voice trembling faintly.
She paused, raising her hand gently to stop him from coming any closer, her expression calm yet attentive.
Daniel struggled to steady his breathing, his chest rising and falling unevenly as tears began to gather in his eyes.
"It's my fault," he admitted, his voice cracking under the weight of guilt. "I'm the one who failed to raise him properly. If I had done better… he would never have caused trouble for you."
His shoulders slumped as if the burden he had been carrying had finally become too heavy to bear.
"I failed as a father, and now you had to deal with the consequences of my mistakes."
For a moment, Ivy simply observed him.
