KATHERINE POV.
“Then what is it, Adrian? Why won’t you let me in?”
I watched Adrian, his eyes darting away from mine, avoiding the question that lingered between us like a heavy cloud.
The cool night air drifted through the open windows of the yacht, but all I could feel was the suffocating tension between us.
“Why can’t you let me in?” I asked again, my voice soft but unyielding.
Adrian sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as if the weight of his thoughts were too much to bear.
His jaw clenched, the muscles tensing as he struggled with words. This wasn’t the first time he’d pulled away from me, but this time, the distance felt more suffocating than ever.
“Katherine,” he finally whispered, his voice hoarse, “It’s not you. It’s me. There are things about me—about my past—that I can’t
