Carter Ricci
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I watch as Rose drops her head, the silence between us crushing, suffocating. The proud woman who mocked my mother and kissed me like she owned me now looks like a shattered doll, vulnerable and broken. My jaw clenches as I fight every urge to pull her into my arms and comfort her. But she doesn’t deserve comfort. Not right now.
“You know what hurts the most?” I whisper, my voice low and rough, struggling to keep control. “I was ready to give you everything.”
She looks up at me, but I can see the hesitation, the weight of the lies she's told, the betrayal still hanging in the air.
“I will marry you, Carter,” she says, her voice soft but filled with doubt. “But not now. I just need some time. I promise.” She looks at me like she’s begging for forgiveness, and in
