Serena hesitated, the silence between them thick and suffocating. Her lips parted slightly as though she might speak, but the words remained stuck behind clenched teeth. Lucian stood there quietly, his piercing gaze locked on her with the same intensity that always seemed to strip her of every defense. She could feel his attention on her, waiting, pressing, and demanding .
It was in that presence, so strangely calm and quiet, that she realized there was no running from what needed to be said. No more avoidance. No more vague discussions or emotional detours. She had to tell him the truth, no matter how ugly or selfish or impossible it sounded.
So she took a breath, deep and trembling, and finally let the words fall from her lips like stones crashing into still water.
"Because I want kids," she said.
