“I’ve enjoyed our time together, Briony. But as of tonight, our engagement is over.”
“What about Linnaea?” she finally asked.
Amazingly, she still sounded calm, in control. And, of course, was thinking about others instead of herself.
“I’ll figure out something.”
Even if he didn’t have all the answers right now, he would find them. Briony might suffer in the short term, but one day she would look back and realize that he had set her free. When she had a husband who loved her and children of her own, she would be grateful.
Just the thought of another man touching her, let alone having children with her, made his blood boil with rage.
“I will, of course, provide you with funds, too, so that you may...”
His voice trailed off as she shook her head.
“No, thank you. I will swallow my pride to accept your generosity regarding Trey’s treatment, the mortgage and the twins’ funds. But anything else would make me feel...bought and paid for.”
“You are not a whore,” he ground out.
“No, I’m not. But I appreciate your concurrence. And how much you’ve helped my family. Thank you, Cass.”
The words were gracious, her tone soft as she turned and walked away from him. He wanted to go after her, to reach out and touch her one last time, to tell her how much she’d helped him focus on the future and let go of the past.
But he couldn’t. One touch and he’d be lost.
She started to pull on her dress.
“I’ll go.”
“No.” She held up a hand. “I need to take a walk, clear my head.”
She finished dressing and went to the door. Her hand reached out, grasped the handle.
Go. Go now.
She glanced back at him, and he nearly staggered at the depth of love shining in her eyes.
“I loved you because I wanted to, Cass. Not because I had to.”
And then she was gone.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
SHEHADONLYknown this sense of heartbreak once: the moment her mother’s hand had gone limp in her grasp as she’d breathed her last. She knew the feeling all too well. The numbness at first, the mind and heart both denying the evidence that lay right in front of her eyes. Then, slowly, the pain as reality trickled in, then broke through as if a dam had burst and an ache filled her entire body.
When she’d made the decision to tell him, she’d accepted that there was a strong possibility he would say he didn’t love her. But she had comforted herself with the fact that at least she had tried, that it was better to tell him how she felt and risk that rejection than to cower like she had for so many years and not share what was in her heart.
She had not anticipated him ending their engagement. Now she had not only lost Cass but lost her ability to help Linnaea as well.
The elevator dinged, the doors swishing open to reveal the hallway where the royals kept their private offices. Alaric’s was on the left. Her own was just past that on the right. Daxon maintained the most luxurious office at the end, although she’d never seen him enter it.
She started down the hall. Perhaps if she focused on some work, reviewing the feedback from parents from her town hall or a building proposal for a new school in the southern region, she could keep the pain at bay.
Everything was quiet. Almost quiet, she amended as she neared the door to Alaric’s office. A strip of light was visible at the bottom of the door. She could barely make out the quiet murmur of two voices. Daxon had left as she’d been saying her goodbyes. Was he in the office with Alaric? She had no desire to see him again tonight.
She picked up her skirts and started to walk faster, hoping the tapping of her heels wouldn’t be audible through the thick door.
So much for hope, she thought miserably as the door swung open.