But so you know he killed my family

Liam cuts her off with a scathing glare. "Save it, Elena," he snaps, his jaw clenched tightly." We're done here."

The rejection hits Elena like a slap in the face, She swallows hard, trying to find the words to defend herself but finding only silence in response.

Finally, Liam turns around and faces her fully, his eyes filled with disappointment and anger that pierce through Elena's heart.

"Listen," he begins in a low voice dripping with hurt, "I can't be a part of whatever secret life you've got going on with that goddamn mafia lord named Damien Carrington, I know you ran away because of him, but so you know he killed my family"

Liam's words hang in the air like a cloud of smoke, suffocating Elena with their weight. She stands frozen on the spot, her mind reeling from the shock of Liam's revelation. The Damien she knew had always been a mystery, but now it seemed that he was hiding a darker truth.