Chapter 74

• The silence in the study stretched like a taut string ready to snap. Danielle stood by the wide mahogany desk, her fingers clenched tightly at her sides as she stared at Alexander. His expression, usually unreadable and composed, betrayed something raw and restless tonight.
• “You expect me to just believe you?” Danielle’s voice was steady, but beneath it was a tremor of betrayal. “All this time, you knew more than you admitted. Every time I asked, you looked me in the eye and told me nothing. And now—now I’m supposed to trust that you weren’t hiding the truth from me?”
• Alexander pushed himself away from the desk, his tall frame looming in the dim light. He moved closer, but the distance between them felt wider than ever. “Danielle, I never lied to you about Theo. I only learned the full truth recently. I was trying to protect you until I could confirm it.”