Chapter 171

• Author’s POV
• The death of Tristan’s mother left him hollowed out from the inside. Sleep abandoned him, and when it did come, it brought memories he couldn’t escape—her voice, her face, the last words they never shared. He blamed himself relentlessly: for not being there to protect her, for choosing distance when pride and pain had once stood between them. What haunted him most was the thought that she had died believing he hated her. The truth was far crueler—he had forgiven her long ago, and he had never stopped loving her. His chest tightened every time he thought of it, the unspoken words pressing like a weight against his ribs. If only she had known. But death did not bargain, and regret came too late.
• Now she was gone, and no apology or confession could reach her.