Chapter 116

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The silence that followed Daniel’s departure was almost deafening. I sank into my chair, feeling the tension slowly seeping from my body, leaving me empty but strangely light. My heart beat in an uneven rhythm as I stared at the door he’d walked out of. I’d told him everything…all the things I’d kept hidden, the truth that had eaten away at me for so long. And now that he was gone, I didn’t know what to feel.

Relief washed over me, mixed with a faint pang of loss. I’d known, deep down, that telling him the truth would break us apart. But I had to do it, even if it felt like ripping a bandage off wound that had barely started to heal. I couldn’t keep lying, not to him and not to myself.

A bitter smile crept onto my face as I remembered the way he’d looked at me. Hurt, betrayed, but almost… understanding. It was the look of someone who knew this was the end, even if he didn’t want it to be. His jaw had been clenched, eyes dark and piercing, and he’d just nodded, taking in my words one by one. I could still hear his voice, low and pained, echoing in my mind.

“I thought maybe I could change your mind. That I could be someone you’d want.” he had said, his voice strained. “You’re choosing him over me?”

I’d looked away, unable to bear the intensity of his gaze. Because I was sorry. I never wanted it to end like that.

He’d taken a shaky breath, his hands balling into fists.

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“I’ve tried, Christiana. I’ve tried to be there for you. I thought if I was patient, if I gave you time… But you’ve never seen me as more than a friend, have you?”

His words had struck deep, and I had felt the familiar sting of guilt, but I had forced myself to stand firm. I had owed him, that much, to be honest, even if it shattered us both.

I drew in a deep breath now, trying to steady myself. It was over. I’d let him go, told him the truth, and in a way, I felt… free. Like I’d been carrying a weight on my shoulders, and now, it was lifted, leaving me raw and exposed, but also unburdened.

he had clenched his jaw, trying to mask the pain that was so evident in his gaze. Part of me hated myself for hurting him like that, for

didn’t have to pretend anymore, didn’t have to keep up a charade that only seemed to suffocate us both. In telling him the truth, I’d let go of the illusion I’d built around us, and for

gaze drifting to the empty space in front of me, and whispered, almost to myself, “I’m sorry,

my cheek, but I didn’t wipe it away. Let it fall. Let it be part of this release, this closing of a chapter

kind of peace. Painful, yes. But real. And maybe that was

I could already hear the whispers, feel the judgment in the looks people would give me. They wouldn’t understand, and maybe I didn’t even understand it myself. But tonight, none of that mattered. I needed him, and he

taking a deep breath. But the moment I stepped inside, the tension melted away There he was, standing in the middle of the

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Thu,

Chapter 116

more than a whisper, like

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familiar,

around me, holding me close. His embrace was warm, and for a moment, I let myself get lost in it, feeling his heartbeat against mine. I leaned my head on his chest, closing my

deeply. “I thought…” He trailed off, his grip tightening slightly. “I thought you wouldn’t come back. That you would leave the kids here and come

at him, searching his face, seeing the vulnerability hidden beneath his usual confidence.

tentative, as if asking for permission. I didn’t resist. I couldn’t. The kiss deepened, gentle at first, then growing more urgent, as if he needed to reassure himself that I was real,

his hands gently resting on my waist. “I missed you,” he whispered, his voice so raw

it stirred something deep inside me. Without thinking, I lifted a hand to his face, brushing my fingers along his jawline. “Let’s not talk, I whispered, and he nodded, his

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