Layla's POV
My grip on the railing tightened until the metal cut deeper into my palms. His jaw flexed once, the muscle sharp against his skin, as though even imagining me with another man strained his control.
Kian kept talking, his voice frantic as he tried to plead with me.
"I know I've made mistakes. I know Chelsea complicates everything, but she's sick, she needs me…"
"She needs you to keep lying," I cut in, raising my voice enough to pierce the line. "She's always needed that from you."
The silence that followed was raw, broken only by his uneven breathing.
"I can't let you go," Kian said finally, low and ragged. "Even if you hate me for it."
The phone went silent at last. Kian's voice cut off mid-breath as Gabriel ended the call and lowered the device and dropp
