98
~Velma’s POV
His face crumpled when I said it, as if the words had finally reached somewhere soft.
“I love you,” he said again, quieter this time, almost pleading.
I shook my head slowly. I could feel the weight of his gaze, heavy and desperate, pressing into my back.
“No,” I snapped. “You love control.”
The word hung between us. It explained everything. His money. His apologies. His sudden knees on polished floors. None of it was love. It was the fear of losing access to me.
I stepped back, creating space because I needed air, needed distance, needed to remember who I was before he ever thought he owned me.
“You do not get to kneel in front of me and call it remorse,” I said, my voice steady even though my chest burned.
He reached for my hand, his fingers brushing the air wher
