Irvin's POV
I blinked, my eyes fixed on my mother, hoping she'd crack a smile or give some sign this was all an elaborate joke.
She didn't.
My jaw clenched as I shifted my attention to my father, who continued cutting his steak like he hadn't just demolished what little tranquility remained in my life.
The air in the dining room grew thick, almost choking.
I shook my head slowly.
Before this moment, I wouldn't have given a damn. Marrying Caroline had been my plan—the route everyone assumed I'd follow.
A safe, expected decision.
But now everything's changed.
Everything.
Now my heart belongs to a girl with weary eyes and scarred knuckles. A girl who never asked me for anything except the one thing I couldn't offer.
My true self.
Davina.
My throat constricted.
Marrying Caroline was no longer an option.
Not now.
Never again.
Just because I can't marry Caroline doesn't mean I want anything with Davina Hughes.
I just want to exist without these damn chains!
