The air between them was thick with tension as Ella stepped back, clutching the custody papers in her trembling hands. Her pulse pounded in her ears, and her chest felt tight, as if her heart was being squeezed by the weight of everything that had happened.
“I thought… I thought you wanted to make things right,” Ella said, her voice breaking. “But this? This is unforgivable.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened, his face etched with regret. “I’m trying, Ella. I just… I don’t know how else to do this. I want to be a part of their lives.”
Ella took a deep breath, fighting to regain her composure. “Taking them away from me? That’s your solution?”
Ethan’s hands dropped to his sides, helpless. “I don’t want to take them from you. But you won’t let me in, Ella. You won’t give me a chance.”
“Because I don
