The irony was not lost on anyone.
During mediation, Lenora saw Darnell for the first time since the apartment.
He looked thinner. His suit fit poorly. The confidence that once filled rooms now came in flashes, like a failing light. He did not look monstrous. That unsettled her. He looked human. Tired. Frightened. Smaller without his audience.
For a moment, pity moved through her.
Then she remembered him standing over her on the marble.
Pity did not require access.
He tried to speak to her before the session began.
“Lenora.”
Maya, who had come as support, stepped half a step forward. Not aggressively. Just enough.
Lenora raised a hand.
“It’s okay.”
Darnell swallowed. “I’ve been doing counseling.”
Lenora said nothing.
“I know that doesn’t fix anything. I know I hurt you. I just…” He looked down at his hands. “I don’t know who I am without everything I was chasing.”
