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Chapter 60
Adeline West.
The next morning was colder than usual. As I sipped my coffee by the kitchen window, the city outside felt distant, almost surreal. A thin fog wrapped around the buildings like a veil, much like the haze that had settled over my thoughts. It was a strange contrast–inside my home, warmth, outside, chaos. And all revolved around one man, Killian Volkov.
I pulled my phone from the kitchen counter, another text from him glaring at me. The words were simple, but they carried weight I didn’t want to acknowledge.
Killian: “We need to hold a press meeting today. Joint statement It’s time we put an end to this media circus.”
I sighed heavily, running my hand through my hair. The forceful kiss had spun out of control, and now we were at the mercy of the press. The more I tried to forget the way Killian had looked at me during the kiss, the more those memories clawed their way back, demanding my attention. But they didn’t deserve it. Not anymore.
I shook my head, forcing myself to focus on the reality of today “Press statement. Nothing more, I muttered under my breath. The last thing I wanted was to keep this media frenzy going. But even with that in mind, it still felt like everything was spiraling.
Just as I turned from the window, a soft knock on my door interrupted the whirlpool of thoughts.
“Mom Bridget appeared in the doorway with her brother just behind her, their bright eyes bringing a soft smile to my lips despite the storm raging inside me. Mary stood in the kitchen with a knowing glance.
After sending the kids off with a quick hug, I was preparing myself for another day in the whirlwind of public scrutiny. As I reached the front door, my phone buzzed again. I didn’t need to look to know who it was–Killian always had impeccable timing.
Before I could fully grasp my thoughts, Sophia entered my office as I sat down. “Adeline, Sebastian is here to see you,” she said.
My heart dropped.
I wasn’t ready for this–not now, not with everything still spinning in my head. But as always, I composed myself, hiding the unease that gnawed at me.
“Send him in,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside,
Sebastian walked in, his presence immediately filling the room with the calm warmth that had always made him so steady. He was my rock, my constant support when the rest of my world felt like it was crumbling. But lately, that steadiness had begun to crack under the pressure of the unspoken truth between us. His love for me, the marriage proposal–it was all so much more than I could handle right now.
“Adeline,” he began, his tone soft, but there was an edge of seriousness in it today. He wasn’t here just for casual talks.
I tried to smile, but I could feel the weight in his words before he even spoke them. “Sebastian, I-” He cut me off.
“I need to know,” he interrupted gently. “What’s really going on with you and Killian? The kiss–it’s all over the news.” He said.
I sighed, running my fingers over the cool wood of my desk, trying to find the right words to reassure him. But even I wasn’t even sure what to say. I don’t want him to find out anything that happened between me and Killian. I just can’t handle more of it.
“There’s nothing between me and Killian,” I said, my voice sounding more confident than I felt. “That kiss–it was a mistake it’s nothing.”
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Chapter 60
“A mistake?” His voice was low, but I could hear the hurt behind “Adeline, we’ve been through so much together. But lately, I feel like you’re slipping away. Like there’s this part of you that I can’t reach, no matter how hard I try
I couldn’t meet his eyes. The guilt gnawed at me, relentless and unforgiving. He was right. I had been pulling away, and it wasn’t fair to him. But how could I explain everything? How could I tell him that Killian had a hold on me, one I didn’t understand and one I couldn’t sever, no matter how much I wanted to?
“Sebastian, I-” My voice cracked, and I looked away, focusing on the edge of the desk. “I don’t know how to explain it. Killian is… complicated. Our past is complicated. But I swear to you, there’s nothing going on between us now.”
He was silent for a moment, and when he finally spoke, his voice was softer, but there was a sharp edge to it. “Do you love him?” He asked.
I froze. The question hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the air from my lungs. Love? Could I even use that word when it came to Killian?. All I knew was that I hated him; that hatred consumed me; no matter how hard I tried to keep him at arm’s length, something always brought him back.
“No, I don’t,” I said, remembering everything that happened between us.
Sebastian’s gaze remained steady on me, and I could see the pain there. He had been so patient, always waiting for me to open up fully. And in some ways, I had let him in more than anyone else ever had. But in the most crucial ways, I had kept him at arm’s length. He knew it, and I knew it.
“I love you, Adeline,” he said, his voice a quiet plea. “I always have. And I love your kids. I want to be a family with you. I need to know the truth–can you give me that?”
His question hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. This wasn’t the first time Sebastian had told me he wanted to marry me, but today felt different. It felt like a crossroads–one where I couldn’t keep dancing around the truth. I swallowed hard, the walls of my office closing in on me. I knew he deserved an answer, but the truth was, I didn’t know if I could ever give him the love he deserved. Killian, my past, the twins‘ father–all of it was a tangled mess that I hadn’t even fully processed myself.
I looked up at him, my heart aching at the sight of the pain I had caused. Sebastian had been my constant, the one who stood by me when the rest of the world fell apart. And yet, here I was, tearing him apart because I couldn’t let go of the past.
“I don’t deserve you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m broken, Sebastian. I don’t think I’m capable of love,” I whispered, my voice breaking as I finally admitted what I had been too afraid to say. “Not the kind of love you deserve. I’ve been through too much, and I don’t know if I can ever be the wife you need me to be.”
He shook his head, stepping closer to me, his hand reaching out to cup my face. “You’re not broken, Adeline. You’ve been through hell, but you’re not broken. I see you. I know the real you, the woman you try so hard to hide. You are the most beautiful and strongest woman I ever knew in my life. I love you, and I’m not giving up on you.” He said, his thumb stroking my cheek.
“I’ll wait for you, Adeline. I’ve waited this long, and I’ll wait as long as it takes. Just… don’t shut me out.”
I couldn’t speak, so I only nodded, feeling the crushing weight of his love and my inability to reciprocate fully. He left soon after, leaving behind a silence that filled the room, suffocating me.
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