As Rose clung to her mother, her voice cracked as memories of her past interactions with Lucian overwhelmed her. "Mother, I tried so hard to reach out to him... I told him I was there just to talk, to see him. But he didn't believe me. It was like he thought I was... I don't know, like I was there to hurt him or manipulate him somehow. He even said he thought I had some ulterior motive."
She swallowed hard, her eyes filling with tears as she replayed Lucian's guarded expression in her mind. "He wouldn't believe anything I said, Mother. And... I understand. After everything, I know I don't deserve his trust. But it still hurts, knowing he's so guarded against me that he can't see how much I... how much I owe him. I feel like I'll never be at peace unless I can somehow repay him, show him how much I regret it all. But now... now I think he just hates me."
