The words struck Valerie mercilessly.
She thought of Demian his cold gaze, his possessiveness, his often unrestrained anger, and the quiet attention that now felt stronger than ever. She remembered how he never truly let her go, yet could not fully walk away either.
Valerie shook her head weakly. "No…"
Her chest tightened.
"So…" Her voice trembled as she looked at Lena. "Everything he feels for me everything that's happening was it all because of that potion?"
For the first time, Lena did not answer at once.
She studied Valerie for a long moment, as if weighing the truth she was about to speak. A small smile touched her lips not sly, but laced with irony.
"It isn't that simple, good child," she said at last.
She stepped closer. "The potion opens a door. It makes you seen, sensed, desired."
Lena touched her own chest. "But whether someone steps inside and chooses to stay… that is their own decision."
