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Chapter 34
Ryan sat in his study, the weight of the evening's events pressing down on him like an invisible force. He had watched as Sofia held Lily, the unspoken connection between them hanging in the air, undeniable and raw. It had been years since he'd seen them together, but the memory of Sofia's presence in his home, her laughter echoing through the halls, was still fresh in his mind.
The soft glow of the desk lamp illuminated his papers, but Ryan found himself unable to focus. His thoughts kept drifting back to Sofia—the way her eyes had softened when she held Lily, the way her voice had cracked when she whispered her love for the child. For the first time in a long while, he felt a stirring in his chest, a tug that he couldn't ignore. It was more than just guilt, more than just regret for what had happened between them. There was something deeper, something that had been buried beneath the years of silence and the walls he had built around himself.
He had told himself that Sofia's departure was necessary. That it was for the best—that her being so close to Lily would only complicate things. But now, seeing her again, hearing her voice, he realized how wrong he had been. He had been blinded by his own pride, his own fear of letting anyone in, and in doing so, he had pushed away the one person who had cared for his daughter like no one else could.
Ryan leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. He knew that he had hurt Sofia. He had made decisions that had caused her pain, decisions that he now regretted deeply. When she had left, it had been the end of something, but he hadn't realized that it had also been the end of something within himself. The feeling he had pushed aside—those fleeting moments of tenderness toward her—had never truly gone away. They had just been buried under layers of logic, of responsibility. And now, as he sat there, alone with his thoughts, it was impossible to deny it any longer.
He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a slow, steady breath. He had to apologize. He had to make amends, not just for the past, but for the future. He didn't know what it meant yet, what could come from it, but he couldn't ignore the truth any longer. He owed it to Sofia, to himself, and to Lily to confront the mistakes he had made and the feelings he had suppressed for far too long.
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