Lucius shot Ivy a startled look. The tears streaming down her cheeks hit him like a slap—he'd crossed a line.
Despite his lingering feelings for Bella, his engagement to Ivy was carved in stone.
Shoving her away like that had been brutal.
Lucius's voice gentled as he addressed Ivy. "That's not what I meant. I just hate watching you wear yourself thin."
Ivy's expression brightened instantly, her eyes swimming with devotion as she gazed at Lucius. "Being by your side makes any sacrifice worthwhile, Lucius," she breathed, her words dripping with adoration.
Lucius's chest tightened with conflicting emotions. He'd already shattered one woman who'd loved him—he couldn't destroy another.
He let Ivy stay at the Thorne estate without protest, let her share his quarters without objection.
That night, as Peggy helped Ivy ready herself for sleep, she murmured, "Miss Fairfax, this whole situation breaks my heart. The injustice of it all."
