He swallowed hard, then his gaze shifted to the tan line on her bare hand. "You sold your ring."
Sage nodded, the motion small but steady.
His breath hitched. "Was it because you thought I'd bring her here, and leave you with nothing?"
He couldn't bring himself to say her name.
She looked up and nodded again.
For a moment his face crumpled, as if he might break entirely. "Oh, Sage," he whispered. "This is your home more than mine. I didn't realize... I didn't realize how insecure I was making youfeel. I should have insisted you go back to work, insisted you keep your independence. I just thought—"
"No," Sage cut in softly. "That was my decision. I don't regret my years as a full-time mum. That is not your burden to bear."
But he shook his head, his jaw working. "No. There were many things you could have done without compromising your time with David. The truth is, I have failed you as your partner by not seeing that and making those opportunities for you. Let's put the blame where it belongs. You thought I'd leave you penniless, and the one to blame for that is me. I should have made sure you were secure. If we'd married, it would have been different. But we didn't. And now...now there's no way you would take me back, is there?"
Sage just looked at him before whispering haltingly, "I cannot get the image of Amanda and you together out of my head. Just looking at you makes my skin crawl."
He took a deep breath, eyes glistening, voice trembling but determined. "I don't blame you. So let me do this for you. I've started the paperwork to put the house in your name—it should be done today. I want to transfer five million pounds into an account that's only yours. There'll be a monthly allowance and stock options in my company—it's yours as much as mine. I've also asked my lawyer to draw up a trust fund for David. This is something I should have done ages ago. If something happens to me, I need to know both of you are safe and taken care of."
He leaned forward, searching her face with desperation in his eyes. "Neither of you will believe me—not yet, anyway—but this...this is the first step I am taking to become the person I should have always been. To try to win back even a little of your trust. Please let me do this."
Sage wrapped her hands around her mug, staring into the cooling coffee as if it could anchor her. Her voice was quiet, thick with ache. "Ronin...I'm sad. That's all. Sad that it's come to this."
He read her thoughts without her saying anything. "I'm only doing what I should have done a long time ago. This isn't charity, Sage. This is me giving you the security you should have always had so you can rebuild your life, with or without me."
He buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking, then dragged them down and looked at her again when she finally spoke.
Her voice was low and hesitant, like she was confessing something shameful. "Do you know the symptoms I've had these past years? The heavy periods, the mood swings. There were days I couldn't get out of bed. I didn't care what happened around me. And then there'd be days I felt like myself again, and I would wonder, how could you put up with me? That was the worst part. I thought...I thought I'd driven you into her arms, and I couldn't understand why."
His throat worked as though swallowing broken glass. "I don't know. I don't know why I did it." His voice broke, urgent. "It wasn't the sex, Sage. You know we were good together."
"Were we?" she whispered.
"Yes, we were," he said quickly, adamant. His eyes burned into hers. "This is not anything you did or didn't do. I still think you are the most beautiful woman alive." He raked a hand through his hair, his voice raw with desperation. "I don't know why I did it, though I regret it with all my heart. But it's too late... God, I know it's way too late for apologies."
Ronin rubbed his palms over his thighs, his eyes red and tired. "I don't know how to rebuild my relationship with David," he admitted quietly. "He hates me so much. And he's right to."
Sage studied him for a long moment, her heart a tight knot. "He's hurt," she said gently. "But he'll come back to you if you put in the work. He's our boy. One day he'll understand that you were human, that mistakes happen. His relationship with youwill endure, even when we are not together. It is our job to make sure he is protected, even when we separate."
The faint sound of movement drifted down from upstairs—David stirring, getting ready for the day. The ordinary rhythm of life pressing against the raw edges of their conversation.
Sage drew in a breath, bracing herself. "There's one other thing..."
Ronin's head lifted sharply.
"I met someone in Scotland." Her fingers tightened around her mug. "His name is Euan. And...he wants to be more than a friend. We've kissed."
The words seemed to knock the breath out of him. He turned away, shoulders rigid, the muscle in his jaw clenching hard. When he finally spoke, his voice was raw. "I deserve this—all of it. I have no right to be angry or jealous, but I am...and it's killing me."
A hollow feeling of loss filled Sage. The path ahead was unknown, and she could only take things one day at a time.
He shoved back from the island stool, standing abruptly. "I'd better get going. Get this test over with."
At the doorway, he hesitated. His voice dropped low. "Will you be here when I get back?"
Sage's reply was steady. "Yes."
His eyes closed briefly, like he was absorbing the word. Then he nodded once, sharp. "I'll look for a place and move out. Would you let me stay until then?"
