The voice behind her shattered the silence.

Lunara jerked around with a startled gasp. The gun slipped from her hand, struck the edge of the table, and landed with a dull thud.

Evan walked toward the table without rushing. He picked up the gun, looked at it for a long moment, then slowly lifted it and pressed the barrel against his own head. His face remained calm, as though he had already made up his mind.

“Please… don’t.” Her voice broke as she reached for him.

Evan didn’t lower the gun.

His eyes were bloodshot, and fresh tears clung to his lashes. He had been crying for a long time. Lunara had always known how deeply he loved Emma. The painful part was that Emma had never loved him the same way.

“Evan, don’t do this,” she pleaded, shaking her head. “Please don’t kill yourself.”

Her gaze dropped to the gun. A chill ran through her when she remembered grabbing it a few moments ago. Her fingerprints were already on it.

If he pulled the trigger now, who would believe she hadn’t killed him? They would say she shot him, placed the gun back in his hand, and made it look like suicide.

“Evan, please.” She stepped closer, tears streaming down her face. “My father is already in a dungeon for murder. I can’t end up there too. Please… put the gun down.”

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“I came here for the same reason. I never imagined I’d find you standing here first.”

A faint smile touched his lips, but it faded almost as quickly as it appeared.

“Tell them I killed myself.”

She let out a shaky laugh that sounded more like a sob.

“Who would believe me after everything that’s happened? Do you really think anyone would listen?”

“You already know the answer,” she said quietly. “Daniel took a pup’s life, and the neighbors have been taking it out on me ever since. How much worse do you think it would be if you died in my house?”

“Then leave the country.” His voice was quiet and steady.

He lowered his eyes for a moment before speaking again.

“I don’t have enough money,” Lunara said quietly. “And even if I did, I have nowhere to go.”

“I saw Emma at the palace today.”

His fingers tightened into a fist.

“All I’ve ever wanted was to move on.” He let out a slow breath. “But seeing her again today, carrying Brandon’s pup, brought everything back. It reminded me of the past.”

He swallowed hard and stared at the floor.

“There’s no hope for me anymore.”

“The last time I went to see her, Brandon warned me to stay away from her. I keep telling myself it’s time to let her go.” He paused, his voice catching in his throat. “But the problem is…” He shook his head and let out a weak laugh. “I can’t. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t.”

“Stop!” she screamed.

Her voice echoed through the chamber.

“Stop! Please… just stop!”

The words caught in her throat.

“I don’t want you reminding me of my past either,” she said, giving her head a small shake. “Please.”

Slowly, Evan’s trembling hand fell to his side. Already on his knees, he bowed his head as a broken sob escaped his lips. Another followed, then another, until he was sobbing uncontrollably.

Lunara rushed to him and wrapped both arms around his waist. The force of her embrace knocked them both off balance, and they sank onto the floor together.

Neither of them tried to move.

They clung to each other as if letting go would break them completely. Their sobs filled the chamber, rising and falling until there were no words left to say.

When the tears finally slowed, they remained where they were, lying side by side on the cold floor.

Neither of them spoke.

Their eyes stayed on the ceiling, following the soft glow of the light fixture overhead as the silence stretched from minutes into hours.

Lunara wanted to ask what was running through his mind.

She never did.

Somehow, she already knew he was lying there, wondering the very same thing about her.

A soft chuckle slipped out of Evan.

“I came to borrow the gun because I thought there was nothing left for me,” he said quietly. “Then I saw you standing here… and suddenly, all I wanted was for you to put it down.”

He held her gaze.

“I think we should hold on. Seeing you like this made me realize how much pain you’ve been carrying by yourself.”

Lunara turned to look at him, surprise replacing the panic that had filled her face only moments ago. “What changed?” she asked. “I thought you said the only solution was to shoot yourself.”

Evan rested his head against the floor and stared at the ceiling for a long moment before answering. “Emma may belong to Brandon today,” he said quietly, “but I don’t think this story is over.”

A small smile tugged at Lunara’s lips despite everything that had happened. “You’re hopeless.”

He let out a quiet laugh and shook his head.

“Brandon was never supposed to claim Emma. My father lied to me. He told me to call off the engagement, and I listened.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “If I’d known Emma had no idea who Brandon really was, I never would’ve walked away.”

The last trace of a smile faded from Lunara’s face. She turned toward him again, the light from the vision hearth flickering across his features.

“Who told you that?”

“Morgan.” Evan kept his eyes on the floor. “She told me everything after Emma found her parents.” He paused before looking up at the flames dancing in the hearth. “Most people don’t know who Brandon really is… but Morgan does.”

Lunara watched him in silence for a long moment.

“Does it change anything whether Emma knows who Brandon is or not?”

Evan didn’t answer right away. His gaze remained fixed on the fire as the flames crackled softly in the quiet chamber.

“Every choice has a price,” he said at last. “Sometimes you pay right away. Sometimes it takes winters. But sooner or later…” He swallowed and slowly lowered his head. “Everyone pays for the choices they make.”

“You wanted to be Brandon’s mate, and I wanted Emma. Maybe one day, we’ll both get what we wished for,” Evan said.

Lunara stared at the ceiling again and sighed. “Then keep that truth to yourself,” she murmured. “The last thing either of us needs is another reason to keep hoping.”

Neither of them spoke after that. The fire crackled softly, filling the silence while they lay side by side on the cold floor, each lost in thoughts they couldn’t bring themselves to say aloud.

After a while, Evan broke the silence. “Have you eaten?”

His voice was quieter now, almost gentle. Lunara slowly shook her head. The chamber

was too dark for him to see the movement clearly, but she knew he would notice it anyway. She turned slightly toward him and asked, “What about you?”

A weak smile crossed his face before he answered. “No.”

“Do you want us to go out and get something to eat?” he asked after another moment.

Lunara shook her head again and pulled her knees a little closer. “I can’t,” she whispered. “I don’t want to go outside.”

She didn’t need to explain any further. The moment she stepped into public, conversations stopped. Strangers stared at her without trying to hide it, and whispers followed wherever she went. Some looked at her with fear, others with disgust, as though she had already been found guilty. She closed her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew she had agreed to something unforgivable, but the plan hadn’t been hers. Daniel had come up with it. She had been foolish enough to follow him, and now she was the one carrying the weight of it every single day.

“You hate it when people look at you like that, don’t you?” Evan asked.

Lunara lowered her eyes and gave a small nod.

He pushed himself to his feet and held out a hand to her.

“Come on,” Evan said, holding out his hand.

“Let’s get something to eat.”

Lunara looked at his hand, then toward the front door.

Beyond it waited the whispers… and the world she had been hiding from.

She drew in a slow breath.

Then she reached for his hand.

She took one slow, steady breath.

Then she slipped her hand into his, and together they walked toward the door. Her steps were slow, but she kept moving until they were only a few feet away.

Just before they reached it, she let go of his hand and came to a stop.

Evan turned and looked at her. “What is it?”

She lowered her eyes and shook her head.

“I’m not hungry.”

Evan let out a tired sigh. “How long are you going to keep doing this?” he asked. “How long will you keep hiding inside this house?”

She stayed where she was.

“They’re going to talk, Lunara,” he continued. “Whether you’re here or out there, they’ll still talk. So let them.”

She remained silent.

“Lunara.”

When she still didn’t move, he raised his voice.

“Get up.”

She flinched, then slowly climbed to her feet. Without saying a word, she shuffled toward the door.

Evan followed a few steps behind, watching her. Just as she reached the hallway, she suddenly turned toward her bedchamber.