Spent, we collapse on the bed, relaxing as if it’s a fortress of safety.
Adrian’s arm is around her waist, my hand rests on her hip, and Elijah’s fingers trace lazy patterns on her shoulder.
For the first time, this feels real rather than stolen moments in shadows. Like we’re actually a family, unconventional and forbidden, but real.
“Whatever happens tomorrow,” Adrian says quietly, his voice rough with emotion, “this was worth it.”
Charlie turns her face toward him, tears glistening in her eyes. “Don’t say that like it’s ending.”
“It might be,” Elijah says softly. “Sister Margaret saw you and Marcus. She’s already reported to the Bishop.”
I press a kiss to her temple, breathing in the vanilla and cinnamon scent that’s become as necessary as air. “Te amo,” I whisper. I love you. The words feel both terrifying and inevitable.
She doesn’t speak Spanish, but she understands. Her hand finds mine, squeezing three times.I love you.Our secret code.
We fall asleep like that, the four of us tangled together, pretending the morning won’t come.
But it does, brutal and unforgiving.
I wake to find Charlie already gone, slipped back to her apartment before dawn to maintain appearances.
Adrian and Elijah are still asleep, their faces peaceful in ways they never are when awake.
I dress quietly and head to my own quarters, my body still humming with the memory of last night.
The knock on my door comes before I’ve finished my coffee. Isabella stands in the hallway, her dark hair perfectly styled, wearing a tailored dress that whispers money and sophistication. Her smile is warm, but there’s something calculating in her eyes.
“Marcus. I hope I’m not disturbing you. I was hoping we could talk. Privately.”
Every instinct screams this is a trap, but I can’t refuse without raising suspicion. I step aside, letting her enter, leaving the door conspicuously open.
“I’ve heard rumors,” Isabella says, moving to stand by the window. Her back is to me, her posture rigid. “About you and that girl. Charlie.”
My jaw clenches. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but?—”
“Don’t.” She turns to face me, and the pain in her expression stops my words. “Don’t lie to me, Marcus. I see the way you look at her. The way she looks at you. I recognize it because it’s how we used to look at each other.”
I force myself to remain calm, to not confirm what she’s already guessed. “Isabella, whatever you think you know?—”
“I came back for you.” The words tumble out in a rush. “My divorce is final. My ex-husband is out of my life. I’m free now. We can finally be together, the way we were supposed to be three years ago.”
She crosses to me, her hand rising to cup my face. Her touch is familiar, gentle, and it makes my chest ache with old guilt and new certainty. “We can have the life we planned. A real life. No more hiding, no more shame.”
I gently remove her hand from my face, holding it between both of mine. “Isabella, I’m not the man you remember.”
“Yes, you are.” Her voice breaks slightly. “You’re the man who was willing to give up everything for me. The man who almost killed my husband to protect me. That man is still in there.”
“That man was running from something,” I say quietly. “He thought saving you would save himself. But it wouldn’t have. We would have destroyed each other.”
Isabella’s expression hardens. “And you think that child won’t destroy you? What kind of future do you think you have with her?”
“Charlie is not a child.” My voice drops to something dangerous. “She’s a woman who’s survived more than you know. And what I feel for her isn’t infatuation. It’s love.”
“Love.” Isabella laughs, the sound bitter. “You barely know her. How can you throw away everything for someone you’ve known for a few months?”
“Because she’s real.” The words come from somewhere deep inside me. “What we had, Isabella, it was beautiful and painful and necessary. But it wasn’t real. It was two broken people clinging to each other in the dark. Charlie is different. She sees me, all of me, and she stays anyway.”
Isabella’s face twists with hurt and rage. “She’ll leave. Girls like that always do. When someone younger comes along, when the novelty wears off, she’ll walk away without looking back. And you’ll have thrown away your calling, your reputation, everything that matters for nothing.”
