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At least the woman she had been, scarred though she was by her mother, without friendships, or attachments, had been independent. What was she now? “I hate you,” she said. “As much as I ever thought I loved you. You have killed us. It will never be the same again.”
“It was never love for me.”
He burned in this flame, but it didn’t consume him. And it threatened to make her ash. It was too hot for her. Too devastating.
“I won’t marry you,” she whispered.
“I believe you will.”
The threat in those words did not escape her. He would take Soriya from her if he had to.
“I want my own room.”
“By all means,” he said, his voice hard. “Keep this one.”
He did not bother to dress, he simply strode from the room, closing the door tightly behind him, and leaving her. She collapsed to the ground, and there was nothing. Nothing but the sound of the rain and her own piteous weeping.
Riot Phillips had thought for a moment that she was loved.
And what a cruel trick it had been.
She had all her memories now, she had the truth.
And she wished desperately that she could go back to living a lie.
Because it had been such a beautiful lie.
You can’t live a lie.
You can’t.
So this was the truth. All sharp and jagged edges. But what did it gain her?
There was no dignity to be had here. No respect.
She was utterly reduced.
You will remake yourself. You have every time.
And this time you have Soriya.
And that right there was the bright, burning conviction she needed.
A fire that would burn hotter than that demonic flame in Krav.
She was a mother. And she could remember now. That pregnancy. And how it had gotten her through the heartbreak of losing Krav.
It had sustained her. Soriya had sustained her.
She put on a robe, and walked out of the room, moving slowly to evaluate whether or not Krav was still in the main part of the penthouse.
She crept into Soriya’s room. She looked down at her tiny, sleeping daughter. “I will not be my mother. And whatever happened to your father... I will do better. I will not allow you to become twisted and bitter. Or sad and lonely. You will be better for having me. I will not be weak. And I will not lose you. I will do whatever it takes to protect you. I promise.” And she realized then it was Soriya who was protecting Riot. For she was giving her purpose. She was giving her strength now. Something bigger than simply her own heartbreak.
Because she was broken. She could be as angry as possible, holding that up as a shield to herself but as much as she despised him now, she had loved him.
And that was terribly painful.
But she was resolved.
