Chapter 20
In the first moments of waking. Alaric had felt a flashed relief- in this reality. Stafla was still alive, noi stabbed in death her atue of his selfiadiness.
But the very next breath hugh crushing realization, Shed vanished stewhere beyond his reach, possibly foreser. The pain was physical, like a vise around his chest.
At least dream Alaric, for all his failures, had actually had Stella by his side for twenty years
The Alaric of this reality had driven her away completely, perhaps irrevorably
He clutched his head, each breath a crims struggle, as though his body had forgotten this basic function.
Seeing him like this, Camilla’s Exce crumpled with fear, “Alaric What’s happening? Are you in pain? Should I call the doctor?
Alaric finally looked up his eyes bloodshot, nice scraping raw from his throat “Mom, I think I’m in love with Stella. I think I always have been.”
As the admission left his lips, something is his chest finally released–a weight he hadn’t known he was carrying unit was gone
He was finally facing what he’d been running from for years.
Camilla stared at him for a moment before her own tears spilled over.
“God I know” she whispered. “Tve always known.”
They say mothers know their children best. I saw a when you were just a boy–the way you looked at her when you thought no one was watching.”
“But for some reason, you kept fighting it so hard. I pushed for this marriage because I saw what you couldn’t admit to yourself
Her voice cracked. “Did you really think I’d force my only son to marry someone he did’t love just because of a promise to my dead friend? What kind of mother would that make me?”
She gripped his band lighter. “But Alaric, if you loved her all this time, why did you treat her so terribly? Why did you have to push her away u had nothing left to give you? Why realize it only after she’s gone?”
Alarie stared past her, struck numb by the truth
He had always prided himself on his right–his ability to read competitors to anticipate their strategies, to see through their motivations.
Yet he couldn’t or wouldn’t–see what was in his own heart.
Perhaps it had been nothing more than childish rebellion.
He and Stella had grown up together–genuine childhood sweethearts.
Young Alaric bad adored her. When other kids bulled her, he had been her fierte protector.
When she craved a specific treat, he would search every store in town until be found it
When had everything changed?
It was during his juror year of high school, when Stella lost her mother
His own mother. Elena’s closest friend, had formally announced their engagement, promising to care for Stella as her daughter in law.
That same year, Alaric had been fighting biegly with his parents over his college plans.
They demanded he study finance to take over the family business.
His passion had been sports–he’d dreamed of puring athletics professionally.
He had ultimately surrendered to their wishes, applying to programs that held no interest for him.
that seed of rebellion had remained, waiting for its moment.
Chapter 20
When parents arranged his marriage too, that simmering resentment finally erupted.
Why should they coodrel not only
also who he would spend his B
In childish defiance, he had begon treating Stella poly–as farting her somehow truck back at his parent com
Then, near the end of college, he had met Jenna
Jerna had been Stella’s complete opposite in every way
Stella was brilliant. Jenna seemed najve.
stella was confident and sophisticated, Jenna appeared timid and deferential.
stella was the untouchable heiress, Jenna was the penniless orphan with nothing
This stark contrast had drawn him to Jenna, making him increasingly fixated on her
The more he focused on Jenna, the more he could “prove” that Stella wasn’t his type–that marrying her would be purely his parents impration:
Hel
e hadn’t realized how this twisted logic had trapped him, unconsciously driving him to make devastating choices.
Now he knew that Jenna wasn’t the innocent he’d believed her to be.
But even if she had been, he had never truly loved her.
It had been three parts pity and seven parts rebellion–while his heart had always belonged to Stella.
After all, he now controlled most of the Gilbert empire. If he had geminely wanted to reject Stella, he could have deed his parents completely
Yet he had ching to the engagement, using “honor” as his excuse. The truth was, he had wanted to marry her all along.
But this revelation had come too late.
Beside him, Camilla wiped her eyes. “It’s all too late now. This project will keep her away for over a decade, maybe two. You’ve lost each other.”
Her voice grew resigned, “What’s done is done. Everyone gets their heart broken You’ll have to let go and End someone new to love”
Alaric’s entire body teased as his head snapped up.
“No!” The word barst from him with unexpected force. “I will not let her go
Chapter 21
