The question hit me like a freight train. I blinked, caught completely off guard. I had expected it, sure, but hearing it spoken aloud—so simply, so directly—made my heart skip a beat. The words hung in the air between us, heavier than any I’d ever heard. It was the kind of question that demanded an answer, one that had the power to change everything.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I could feel my pulse quicken, and my chest tightening, but I had to stay composed. Rafael’s gaze remained locked on me, his eyes intense as he waited for me to say something, anything. The weight of my mission, my vow to bring him and his family to their knees, pressed heavily in the back of my mind. I couldn’t afford to lose focus now. I couldn’t let him see the truth of my emotions, not yet.
