As the door closed behind them, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. For years, I had envisioned Tristan in my position, grappling with the same torn feelings between his duty and his heart. He was caught between the family business and the woman he couldn't let go of.
And now, it was finally here..
Ellie Everett, of all people. The girl I remembered was always trailing behind Sophia, her bright eyes sparkling with laughter. I never imagined she would be the one to test my son's armour. Yet, as I watched her stand there, trembling but resolute, I recognized something rare, the courage wrapped in fragility.
It brought back memories of Marie.
Still, doubt gnawed at me. Love was like fire, but fire consumed as easily as it warmed. Could she withstand what Tristan's life demanded of her? Could Tristan bear the weight of protecting her without losing himself?
I poured myself a drink, the amber liquid gleaming in the light. "God help them both," I murmured, though my voice carried the steel of a man who would not tolerate weakness.
"Because if they fail each other, I won't."
-
My knees nearly buckled when we left Edward Donovan's office. The air outside felt heavier, not lighter, as though his words clung to me like an inescapable shadow.
Tristan's hand pressed against the small of my back, steadying and guiding me through the hall. He said nothing, but his silence spoke louder than any vow.
My chest tightened. Do I truly belong in this world?
Images of his father's warning replayed in my mind: "Our world will not spare you, Ellie ." The weight of those words pressed against my ribs until it hurt to breathe.
As I glanced at Tristan, I noticed the tension in his jaw, the turmoil in his eyes, and how his body appeared poised to protect me from everything, even from his own family. In that moment, I felt a sense of steadiness within me.
"I don't regret it," I whispered, surprising myself.
He stopped and turned to face me. "What?"
I gathered my courage to meet his gaze, even though my heart raced. "What I said in there, that I love you, I meant it, Tristan. Even if it scares me, even when the whole world is against us, I meant every single word I said to your father."
For a moment, his cold facade cracked. He lifted his hand, gently brushing my cheek, a light touch but filled with intense desperation.
"Ellie…" he breathed, as if my name alone was both a warning and a prayer