The ring felt painful even though the relationship had ended three years ago, and he looked away toward the window while his throat tightened with emotions he thought he'd buried completely.
"I'm not here to hurt you," Adriano said quietly. "I'm here to close this properly. Because carrying this forward—into tomorrow's match, into whatever comes after—it doesn't serve either of us."
"You want my blessing?" Demien asked, and bitterness leaked into his tone despite his efforts to contain it. "Is that what this is?"
"Yes," Adriano admitted without hesitation. "I want your blessing. Not because I need permission to marry her—we're doing that regardless—but because you were my friend once, and I destroyed that, and I want to know if there's any chance we can move forward without this hatred between us."
