Chapter 21
Aspen buried her face in his chest, hiding her triumphant smile. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for choosing me."
They stayed like that for a long moment before finally getting into the car. As they drove away from the Hawkins estate, Aspen allowed herself to relax slightly. She'd dodged a bullet tonight—Miles' crisis of conscience could have derailed everything. But she'd managed to redirect his guilt into loyalty to her, his doubts into determination to protect their relationship.
Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that tonight had shifted something fundamental. Ravyn had shown her hand—or at least part of it. She'd revealed that she wasn't the broken, defeated woman they'd expected. That she had resources, or at least claimed to. That she was willing to fight ba
