Amelia had chosen.
The best path for the family.
And, though she wouldn't admit it aloud, the best path for herself.
Julies had forced her hand, yes—but he had also forced her to face the truth she'd been avoiding.
At the crossroads she had feared for so long, she now stood firm—because of him.
Her father regarded her for a long moment, his sharp eyes glinting with something she couldn't quite name.
Finally, he nodded once. "Then it seems the Frost family may yet have a future worth watching."
He turned away again, the faintest curve of a smile on his lips. "You've both given me much to think about."
The tension that had coiled in Amelia's chest finally began to ease—though only slightly.
Her father's guarded approval had opened a narrow path forward, but she knew she couldn't stop here. Not yet.
Now came the final nail in the coffin.
"…But I do have a condition," she said quietly.
The Earl turned his gaze back to her, brows lifting in faint surprise. "A condition?"
