(Raiden’s POV)
The echo of my own words haunts me, looping endlessly in my mind: Our arrangement served both our purposes.
At the time, it had felt like the safest answer, the easiest way to sidestep the vulnerability hanging between us after her question—Did you ever care for me at all?
But the moment the words left my mouth, I saw the pain flash in her eyes, quick and sharp, before her carefully constructed mask slid back into place.
I can’t forget it.
The image of her walking away, her back straight, her steps measured, plays in my head like some kind of punishment.
I know I’ve hurt her before—my rejection, my indifference, my unwillingness to even consider what she might have been going through. But this time feels different. Worse.
Why couldn’t I hav
