Page 103 of The Duke's Jilted Bride

“What’s going on?” she asked quietly. “Talk to me.”

He stood again, walking to the window. “The physician says you’ll make a full recovery.”

“I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about us.” Her voice steadied. “You’ve pulled away. You’re hiding something.”

“Nothing’s changed,” he said. “This is how things were meant to be.”

Her stomach dropped. “What does that mean?”

He turned, face blank. “This marriage—it was always an arrangement. Practical. Nothing more.”

Selina stared at him. “That’s not true. You know it isn’t.”

“It is now.” His voice had no feeling in it. “I forgot that for a while. That was my mistake.”

She rose to her feet, gripping the chair for balance. “A mistake? Is that what you’re calling it now? Everything between us—just a mistake?”

“A complication,” he said flatly. “It wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Stop it.” Her voice broke. “Stop pretending like none of it meant anything. I know you. Ifeltit.”

His face twisted for just a second—pain flickering through before he caught it and shut it down again.

“You were poisoned,” he said. “Someone tried to kill you.”

“I know.”

“Because of me. Because of things I’ve done. Secrets I’ve kept. Being with me puts you in danger.”

Her breath caught. “So that’s what this is about. You think pushing me away will protect me.”

“It’s not a thought. It’s a fact. You nearly died.”

“But I didn’t. And I’m still here.” She took a slow step toward him. “You don’t get to decide this alone.”

“I’m trying to keep you safe.”

“You’re trying to run.” She held his gaze. “You want to go back to the way things were, but we can’t. I don’t care about titles or houses or whatever else this marriage was supposed to be. I care aboutyou.”

For a heartbeat, something flickered in his eyes—longing, regret, maybe both. Then he looked away.

“It’s not enough.”

“It is for me,” she said. “Whatever comes, we face it together. Or not at all.”

“No.” The word fell between them like a stone. “This isn’t negotiable, Selina. I’ve made my decision.”

“Without talking to me. Without even considering what I might want.”

“Because I know what’s best in this situation.”

Anger flared, giving her strength. “Do you? Or are you simply afraid? Afraid of what you feel, afraid of trusting someone else with your burdens?”

“I’m afraid of burying you,” he snapped, control finally breaking. “I’m afraid of watching you die because of choices I’ve made. Is that what you want to hear?”

I wish you would stop deciding about our life without consulting me. She grasped his hand, determined to keep him from escaping her touch. “Rowan, please. Whatever this is, whatever you’re facing, let me help.”

Rowan glanced down at their hands, his expression softening just for a moment. Then he pulled his fingers from hers.

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