Chapter 42
Natasha froze, the weight of Drogen's words slamming into her chest with the force of a tidal wave. Her throat tightened, and she felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room. She parted her lips to respond, but nothing came out. Her heart pounded furiously, each beat echoing in her ears as his words unraveled her carefully constructed walls.
She searched his face desperately, hoping to find even a flicker of uncertainty, a clue that this was some cruel trick of fate. But Drogen's gaze remained unwavering, his dark, piercing eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her knees buckle.
"You can't mean that," she finally whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief. "You're just saying it because—"
