Mia held her breath, waiting for William answer.
But instead...
He met her gaze, his voice light and steady. "I already told you—I wasn't in the States then."
She wanted to say more, but her lips trembled, words failing her.
In the end, silence claimed her.
The room fell quiet, the hush heavy as lead.
"Then where were you?" Even with his brutal response hanging in the air, she couldn't let go.
"I don't owe you an explanation," he said, watching her with casual indifference.
She stared at the cool detachment in his eyes, then turned her head away, a suffocating pain blooming in her chest.
He regarded her calmly, then added, "I thought you understood—no expectations in this marriage. So don't play the victim with me. I don't owe you anything, Mia..."
She stayed silent.
Minutes ticked by before he stepped closer, his tone softening. "Do you regret it now?"
She wanted nothing more to do with this conversation, but her legs felt rooted, unwilling to move.
