The silence between them was taut, stretched thin enough to snap. Kai could almost taste Abigail’s fear in the way she held herself rigid, her hand braced too firmly against Adam’s little girl as though shielding the child from him. She expected rage. She expected violence.
But what slipped past his lips wasn’t anger.
“I’m sorry.”
The words landed heavy, thick with sincerity that startled even him. His voice was low and raw in a way he hadn’t let himself sound in years. The syllables carried weight, not just for the moment she had hidden from him, but for every lie, every wound, every scar he had carved into her life.
Adam blinked, his brows furrowing. “Sorry?” He glanced at Abigail, confusion clear in his expression. “What… what is he apologizing for?”
Kai’s gaze never left her. He c
