“Is this what you want,” I asked quietly, “or what you need?”
She didn’t answer right away. Then, she answered honestly, “Both.”
I closed my eyes briefly. “I won’t fight you,” I said.
Her gaze lifted to mine, surprised.
“I’m not saying that because I don’t care,” I added. “I’m saying it because I do.”
The truth settled between us, brutal in its clarity.
“You deserve to breathe,” I continued, my voice steady even as something inside me cracked. “Without explaining yourself. Without managing my fear. Without carrying what I broke.”
I paused, then looked at her, “I never wanted to hurt you,” I said, my jaw tightening despite myself. “And I am truly sorry for what I did, Elena.”
“I know, Adrian,” she replied softly. “I forgive you. And... I’m sorry too.”
Silence stretched between us—heavy, but not hostile.
“About Haille…” she said quietly.
“We’ll share custody,” I said immediately. No hesitation. No conditions. “We’ll figure out a schedule that works for her. She comes first.”
I met her eyes. “I will never put her in the middle of this.”
Her shoulders eased, just slightly.
“I’ll sign whatever you need,” I added. “And I won’t make this ugly. You’ve had enough of that.”
Her eyes glistened, but she didn’t cry. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “For this. For everything”
“Elena,” I murmured, “I didn’t lose you today.”
She looked at me, confused.
“I lost you the moment I stopped making you feel safe,” I continued. “Everything after that was just time catching up.”
My hands rested flat on the table. “This isn’t me giving up,” I said. “This is me finally loving you without trying to own you.”
She held my gaze for a long moment.
“I hope one day you’ll find everything you need,” I said.
She nodded once. “I hope you will too, Adrian.”
I almost told her that I already had, that I knew exactly what I needed now. But I’d learned it too late. After the damage was done. After I’d broken something fragile with my own hands and convinced myself I could still fix it.
When she stood and left the room, I didn’t stop her. I stayed where I was, listening to the soft sound of her footsteps climbing the stairs. Not as abandonment, but as release.
And I told myself that maybe... this was the right choice.
CHAPTER 32
Elena
Two weeks after I returned from Florida, Harley was no longer working at our office. And apparently, that was when Jessica finally had her delayed realization.
We were at our usual café—me, Jessica, and Sloane, the new hire who had taken over Harley’s position. Sloane sat across from us, still in that polite, slightly cautious phase of being new, watching the two of us with quiet curiosity.
