"You ordered one of the guards to end her life," Ryley's voice echoed, devoid of emotion, his face a mask of indifference that belied the turmoil within. The revelation hung heavy between them, casting a pall of darkness over their once idyllic union.
"Please… please tell me it's just a bad dream… please tell me that you could never be that cruel to others… I know your heart… it can't be that dirty that you would let others die in front of you so unfairly…"
The weight of Ryley's plea bore down upon Sean, each word slicing through his soul like a blade. The desperation in his touch, the plea for absolution, echoed through the trembling kiss upon his knuckles. But as Sean raised his brows in stunned disbelief, a tempest of conflicting emotions surged within him, threatening to consume his very essence.
