A month ago, if I had seen Pepper in this vulnerable condition, even the bones in my body would have laughed at this scenario. Trust me, I would have relished the idea of making her suffer, of tearing apart her relationship with Kol, and snatching him away. I craved revenge, yearned to witness her anguish, and wanted her to shed tears of blood.
But today, as I watched her tears flow, the sense of triumph I'd anticipated remained elusive, and this unfamiliar empathy unsettled me.
I despised the tears glistening in her eyes. Strangely, their presence tugged at my own emotions, softening my resolve. I brushed away my tears, then firmly grasped her shoulder, slowly pulling her & myself up, my voice resolute. "That's enough. No more tears."
Pepper rose alongside me, her voice trembling as s
