His Knees, His Pleas, But Our Son's in Peace

I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. "So, you'd rather think I was unfaithful? Let me live with that accusation for years? Just to keep me around, to keep the illusion that everything was fine?"

Nathan's voice trembled, his face crumbling under the weight of his

own guilt. "I just wanted you to stay. Even if it meant believing the worst. As long as you stayed.."

His words made my stomach turn. I had fought for years-*years*-to

make him believe in me, to prove my loyalty, and now he tells me he never really cared. It was easier for him to live in doubt than face the truth.

"And what about Sienna?" I asked coldly, crossing my arms. "Wasn't she the one you always said you liked? The one you couldn't stay away from?"Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

He didn't answer, his silence speaking louder than anything. Sienna had been the wedge between us from the start. And now she was the reason everything had shattered.

"Forget it," I muttered, the fight draining out of me. Oliver was gone. No amount of apologies or regret from Nathan could bring him back. He was too late, and all that was left was the hollow shell of a broken family.

Nathan looked up, his face a mess of tears and desperation. "Doris, 14:56

His Knees, His Pleas, But Our Son's in Peace

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please, I'm begging you. Forgive me. I'll do anything. You want a wedding? I'll give it to you. You want me to stay by your side forever? I'll do it. Just, please... don't leave me.

His eyes were red, raw with guilt and sorrow. It was almost the same

look I had worn on countless nights when I had begged him to believe

me, to stay with me, to love me. But now, all his promises felt empty.

"I *do* have something I want," I said, my voice cold as steel. "I want

you to return my family's business to me."

Nathan blinked, confused. "What?"

I straightened my shoulders, my resolve firm. "I want my family's company back. Last night, I dreamed of my mother. She was with Oliver... and she told me to pull myself together. To live. To take Oliver's place and see the world."

Nathan stared at me, stunned, as if he didn't recognize the woman standing before him. He had expected me to crumble, to beg for his love and attention. Instead, I had found a strength within me that he had never seen before.

"Your family's business?" he repeated, still processing my request.

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