His words felt like acid in my chest. Every syllable twisted the knife deeper. Love. How casually he used that word, the same mouth that whispered it to Seraphine, the same mouth that betrayed me for years.
I forced my eyes to meet his. Concern filled them—or at least that’s what I wanted to see—but all I could recognize was the man who had built a world of lies around me. My throat closed. No sound came out. My entire body trembled violently.
He moved closer, trying to take my hands. “I know this is difficult,” he whispered, “but you’re not alone. We’ll get through this together.”
Together?
A laugh threatened to escape, but it turned into a strangled sob instead.
Before I could pull away, another voice spoke from the doorway. “Vivienne…”
Seraphine.
She stood there, carefully hiding the malice behind a mask of concern. Her voice was saccharine, way too sweet to be sincere. “I’m so sorry,” she said, stepping inside. “This must be overwhelming for you. You’ve cared for Elias for so long… it’s okay to rest now. Adrian and I will handle everything.”
Rest. The word churned my stomach.