Facing Jade's bright, expectant gaze, Marcus let out a quiet sigh before answering. As the words left his mouth, a faint shadow of melancholy passed across his face.
"Jade, how could I not care about your cousin? I never wanted to leave her. But some things… they aren't within our control. Sometimes you're forced into choices you never wanted to make."
His thoughts drifted back to the turmoil that had struck his family a year ago. If it had only involved him, he would never have let Snow go. But for his mother, for Amber, for the sake of everything holding his family together, he had been forced to bow to Snow's father's demands. It was a decision that still weighed heavily on him, one he had never truly forgiven himself for.
"Marcus," Jade called softly, pulling him back from his memories.
