"Knowing all of this... can you still stay by my side?"
Those words sounded like they came from his very soul as if he was laying everything before her naked.
No types of false pretenses, no types of deceiving. He was showing pure emotions to her. That was all.
The question hit her like a hammer, knocking the wind from her lungs. Maya's mind raced as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Everything about him—his distance, his focus, the way he never seemed to fully let anyone in—now made sense. He had been carrying this burden, this pain, all alone. And she hadn't even realized how deep it ran.
The weight of his question settled on her, heavy and unshakable. Could she really stay with him, knowing that his entire life was driven by a single, all-consuming goal? Could she handle being with someone whose heart was set on a path so dangerous, so dark?
