Your Love Is But a Dream

Chapter 99

“You weer willing to compromise on everything for Ivy

1. y. Don’t tell me you couldn’t see through her schemes,” Clara said, her voice calm but piercing.

“you let her gri away with it when she set me up, when she intentionally destroyed my mother’s last painting, even when she humiliated me. And not only did you stand by and watch, but you also joined her and became another person who hurt me.”

–

Clara’s tone stayed steady, but her wolds cut deeper than any raised voice could.

-wren, you’ve already made your choice, haven’t you? Like that night at the gala, when the chandelier came crashing down, and you saved her without even sparing me a glance. You didn’t stop there you came to the hospital and warned me not to hold it against her, even if it meant tearing down my dreams to protect

her

“You did all that for her. And now you’re standing here, telling me you’re not marrying her and asking me to go back with you? I don’t understand you,”

Wyen opened his mouth to respond, the words hovering on the edge of release. He wanted so badly to tell her the truth–to lay bare the love he had buried under years of duty and pretense, but he couldn’t

What would happen after he admitted it? We’d still have

to retum to Phoypolis and get caught in the web of lies and negotiations he’d spun with Carlisle and Ivy. If anyone realized the truth about his feelings for Clara, all his efforts would be undone. But if he stayed silent, he’d lose her for good. Caught in this impossible dilerina, Wren trace:

smile. “See? You don’t

That’s all it is a habit. You don’t know how to deal with

he could refute them. “You know how much I used to love you. I worked so hard to let go of

you and try together and tear myself apart all over again?

— I

each syllable heavier than the last. “Clara, I swear, I don’t want to hurt you ammoër. Please,

camed the truth he had suppressed

“So, you’re saying you love me

When said, his

believe

| really-

push them away when they confess their feelings. If they really did, they wouldn’t stand by while others tore their loved ones

when I decided to stop

from his face as

birthday,” she said quietly

Wren like

slightly. “I was going to try again that day–to patch things up between us and tell you how

watched poules my feelings into

You laughed with them as they ridiculed me. You said

stumbled bark and the words themselves had struckhim “clara, no,