Adrian gripped his phone tightly, his voice trembling but firm. "Isaac, why didn't anyone tell me about Ethan earlier? Do you all think I'm so fragile that I can't handle the truth?"
Isaac sighed heavily on the other end of the line. "Adrian, it wasn't like that. We... we didn't want to burden you when you'd already been through so much. You were kidnapped, then collapsed after that strange episode, and—"
"Stop making excuses!" Adrian cut him off, his voice rising with a rare edge. "He's my husband. If something happens to him, I have the right to know. You all made decisions for me, and now Ethan has been lying there—alone—while I've been clueless."
Isaac's tone softened, guilt evident in his voice. "Adrian, I'm sorry. We were trying to protect you... I was trying to protect you."
Adrian's breath hitched, but he refused to let himself crumble. "If you truly cared, you would've trusted me enough to let me decide for myself."
