At that moment, James raised his trembling voice again, trying to steady his emotions. His face was red, and his shirt was stained from tears and sweat. "Cora… I'm really, really serious about this," he said, his hands pressed tightly together like he was begging for his life.
"Please don't look at me like I'm a joke. I know I messed up, I know I hurt you, but I'm not playing games here. My life is on the line now… just because I chose you. Just because I told them I wouldn't betray you again. Do you even understand what that means?"
Cora stood quietly on the steps, her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her eyes didn't blink. She didn't say a word. The only sound was the rain starting to patter lightly on the roof and James's voice cracking under pressure.
