---
Shane breathed deeply, his breaths slow and deliberate, filling the stillness of the room. Each inhale and exhale echoed off the cold walls, the sound magnified in the oppressive silence that hung between them.
"What do you want to know?" His voice, cold and detached, cut through the air like ice.
Sophie hesitated, her heart racing. There was so much she wanted to understand, so much she needed to hear, but she feared the answers he might give. Still, the question spilled from her lips, a whisper trembling with uncertainty.
"Why did you marry me?"
Her voice cracked. Shane clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening under the strain. His gaze was distant, unfocused, as though he were fighting demons only he could see.
"I made a vow," he said at last, his tone flat, devoid of warmth or affection.
