Chapter 18

• Ayu turned around slowly. Her gaze no longer held the softness Daniel once knew. It was dimmed by pain—an ache that lingered. Doubt clung to her like a shadow. And love, once tender and bright, was beginning to shift into something unfamiliar.
• “But we can choose,” she said quietly, her voice laced with sorrow, “not to destroy our roots for a love that was never blessed, Daniel.”
• Daniel stepped closer, exhaling heavily, his exhaustion etched into every line of his face. “I love you, Ayu. I’ll talk to my family. I’ll make sure they cancel the acquisition. I swear I’ll do it—for you, and for the land your ancestors left you. I’ll book a flight to London and face them myself.”