Chapter 88

• Bewildered, I stared into Hadrian’s eyes, praying that those three words weren’t a cruel trick of my imagination. They felt real, yet the confusion clouding my mind refused to dissipate. He held my gaze, unflinching, his expression resolute, his demeanor steadfast. Confidence radiated from him, but my mind screamed at me not to fall again. I couldn’t afford to be swayed so easily. Turning my face away, I tried to escape his hold over me, but his hand was swift. He caught my chin and gently turned my head back toward him.
• “I love you,” he said again, his voice calm and steady.
• The warmth in his tone seeped into my broken heart like a soothing balm, wrapping me in its embrace like a blanket shielding me from the cold. His arms encircled my waist, pulling me close. I didn’t resist. My resolve wavered; I was ready to believe any excuse, any half-reasonable justification to stay.