"But why…" Alexander muttered softly.
"Why did it take me so long to realize it?"
Raphael smiled faintly.
"The person trapped in the middle is always blind," he said calmly. "The people outside see things much more clearly."
He leaned back slightly before continuing,
"You and Lilian… honestly, from the beginning, that relationship was mostly driven by her."
"She adapted to you. Chased after you. Tried to fit into your world."
"To me, it never looked like a relationship built on equal feelings."
Raphael paused briefly.
"I didn't expect her to come back."
"And I definitely didn't expect that even after she returned, you'd still let yourself get tangled up with her."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"I thought you would eventually understand that the only person you truly owed anything to… was yourself."
"Alicia never owed Lilian anything."
"You shouldn't make Alicia suffer just to compensate for your guilt toward someone else."
