Chapter 51 - Keep Her Close

Rafael Vexley still sat by the fountain, his wheelchair perfectly still, the cool spray from the water brushing his face. Each drop felt like a cruel reminder of the time he nearly drowned. The choice he had to make pressed down on him like an anchor: Eliana had to leave. Not because he wanted her gone, but because keeping her close would destroy her. Mirabel's poison had already ruined too much—turned Ian into something unrecognizable—and Rafael couldn't allow the same shadow to touch Eliana. The memory of that betrayal still cut through him, sharper than any wound, a mark no amount of power or money could ever hide.