Daisy stepped quickly between them, her eyes wide and shimmering with unshed tears. "Stop it, both of you!" she cried desperately. "This isn't about pride or anger — this is about pain!"
Her voice cracked, raw and fragile. "You hurt me, Leo. Over and over. And every time I tried to fix us, you pushed me further away until there was nothing left to hold onto."
The wind whipped through her hair as she continued, her voice trembling violently. "I came here to breathe again. To remember who I was before all the shouting, all the tears, all the lies. And for the first time, I was finally starting to feel okay."
Leo's anger faltered, his chest rising and falling unevenly. His voice softened, heavy with guilt. "Daisy… I was angry. I didn't mean half the things I said."
"But you said them," she whispered painfully. "And you can't take them back."
Damon gently touched her shoulder, his voice quiet and kind. "You don't owe him anything, Daisy."
Leo's eyes darkened, jealousy flaring like fire. "Don't touch her," he snapped harshly.
Daisy turned on him then — fiercely, heartbreakingly. "You don't get to control me anymore!" she shouted, her tears spilling freely now. "You don't get to show up and decide who can be kind to me, Leo! You lost that right when you stopped believing in me."
Her words hit him harder than any slap could. The anger drained from his face, replaced by raw regret.
The wind grew stronger, tossing her hair wildly as she stepped back from both men. Her voice broke into a sob. "I begged you to trust me. I begged you to see me. But all you ever saw was your pride."
For a long, unbearable moment, no one spoke. The sea roared louder, echoing her pain.
Then Daisy turned away, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please, Leo… just let me go this time."
And before either man could move, she walked toward the fading sunset — her figure small but radiant, her tears glinting like diamonds in the golden light.
Leo stood there silently, his heart twisting violently in his chest as he realized that the woman walking away from him now wasn't just hurt — she was done.
Leo ran to her, gripping her hand tightly as he pulled her toward the car. Panic flared in Daisy's eyes as they approached, and she could hear the chaos behind them. Just as they reached the vehicle, Demon lunged forward, a fierce look on his face, determined to stop them. But Leo's bodyguard, a hulking figure with a no-nonsense demeanor, stepped in front of Demon. The two exchanged a hostile glance, but Leo didn't have time to worry about the confrontation. He opened the car door and ushered Daisy inside. As soon as she was seated, Daisy turned to Leo, her heart racing. "What are you doing? We need to—" Before she could finish her sentence, Leo leaned in, silencing her words with a passionate kiss. It was a kiss that felt urgent, desperate, as if he was trying to convey everything he couldn't say out loud. Daisy's mind raced; she felt a swirl of emotions—fear, confusion, and a flicker of something else she couldn't ignore. "Leo stop "she managed to say, pulling away slightly, but he was relentless. He captured her lips again, his hands cradling her face, trying to coax her into the moment. Daisy struggled against him, her instincts screaming that they needed to get away, but his strength was overpowering. "Daisy, just trust me," he whispered, his breath warm against her skin. "I'll explain everything, but right now, we need to go." She could see the urgency in his eyes, the fear beneath his bravado, and for a moment, she hesitated, torn between her instincts and the pull she felt toward him. Just as she opened her mouth to protest again, he kissed her once more—more gently this time, as if trying to anchor her in a chaotic storm