Aspen,
Aiden clutched his chest, and I felt the echoing pain in mine, but I stood my ground, refusing to show any weakness. His eyes bore into mine, silently asking why, but I remained indifferent. He was going to do it to please his Luna anyway, so I took the first step to end it on my terms.
"Why?" Aiden linked me, his voice echoing in my mind, a private plea to avoid Dahlia’s ears. It would have been tempting to tell him I knew he would reject me, but that would be foolish. Instead, I chose the most plausible reason.
"I was late. You are already with someone, and it’s clear you love each other. I don't want to come between you or cause any problems between you and her highness," I said calmly. He looked stunned, and for the first time, I saw genuine conflict in his eyes. In the past
