Chapter 530
[ 508 words ]
Chapter 530:
“Why won’t you agree to complete the bonding?” he asked firmly. “Did someone threaten you? Was it Rola? The elders? Tell me who it was. I’ll deal with them myself.”
“No one threatened me.” I closed my eyes, taking in the warmth of his embrace while my heart ached. “Ethan, nobody forced me.”
“Then why are you leaving?” He lifted his head and looked at me. Even in the darkness, I could feel the intensity of his gaze. “You would rather leave Ruby and Silas in the Thorn Pack. You would rather leave them to grow up without their mother than stay with me. You’ve decided to leave them behind, haven’t you?”
For a long while, I said nothing. Finally, I gave a small nod. “Yes. They’re your heirs. Staying with you means they’ll get the best protection, the best education, and every opportunity they deserve. They could never have that if they spent their lives wandering from place to place with me.”
“Did you ever think about me?” His voice was barely above a whisper, carrying a hint of vulnerability that tugged at my heart. “You planned a future for our children. You planned a future for yourself. But why was I left out of those plans?”
My heart hurt deeply, and I found it hard to breathe. I tried to sidestep the question.
“Ethan, let’s both take some time to think clearly.” I took a deep breath, then went on, “Give me a month. Before you’re discharged from the hospital, I’ll give you a definite answer.”
Ethan didn’t respond immediately. He simply stared at me, waiting for me to finish what I wanted to say.
“A lot has changed over the years.” I dropped my gaze, a faint, self-mocking smile playing on my lips. “I’m not that girl anymore, the one who made you the center of her entire world. I have a career now. I have a life that’s my own. I can’t just decide to start over with you without carefully thinking everything through. And…”
I paused, then raised my head to meet his gaze. “Part of me keeps wondering whether what you’re feeling now is because I disappeared so suddenly back then. Maybe I became something unresolved in your heart. That’s not necessarily love. It’s just a refusal to move on.”
𝗥е𝘤𝗈𝗆mеոd 𝗀alոо𝗏𝘦𝗹s.c𝗈𝗺 𝗍о y𝗼𝘂𝗋 𝖿𝗿𝗂eո𝗱s
“A refusal to move on?” He repeated the words slowly, as though they were completely ridiculous. He let out a bitter laugh, the light in his eyes dimmed, and the hands gripping my shoulders loosened slightly.
The moment I saw that change in him, panic surged through me. I immediately moved closer and wrapped my arms around his waist. Then I tilted my head up and met his gaze. “That’s why this month matters.” I held on a little tighter. “It’s a chance for both of us to find out how we truly feel. If after a month you realize I’m not the person you’ve built up in your mind, or if I realize we really aren’t right for each other, then we’ll go our separate ways. Fair?”
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