"Back then, all you thought about was Damien Pierce, and you even kept your distance from us. I didn't dare tell you how we felt."
"I was afraid you'd figure it out."
"Afraid you'd want to run away."
'Back then, their bond had just begun to form. What if she showed a hint of disgust?'
'So they buried it all.'
And so, their feelings fermented, step by step, drawing them deeper until they couldn't break free.
"I'm not hiding anything from you anymore. I've told you everything," Chase Shaw said.
He had cut open his heart and shown her everything inside.
"Chase, isn't this exhausting?" Zoe Pierce's fingers traced his face. His features were cold and hard, but now he let her hands roam freely, stroking him as she pleased.
Just listening to it herself, she felt a pang of bitterness.
She had never had a secret crush on anyone, but she could empathize with the emotion and caution in Chase's words.
And she was the object of it all.
